A number of Gunnison’s public facilities, such as City Hall and the Rec Center, may present barriers to residents with mobility or visual disabilities, sometimes invisible to others. This year, the City of Gunnison is drafting a step-by-step plan to improve accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ADA, passed in 1990, is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Under the act, “Title II” requires all state and local governments, regardless of size, to evaluate their programs, services and policies with accessibility in mind. Organizations with 50 or more employees, like the City of Gunnison, are required to have a “transition plan” that details the chang-
ADA plan A6
NEWS: A winter to remember (or forget?), A10
COMMUNITY: Valley of Fools visits arts center, B1
SPORTS: Cowboy swim and dive rips at regionals, B4
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MetRec unveils draft rec plan
Community wants rec path connections
Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
After two years of work, the Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District (MetRec) has presented the valley’s firstever regional recreation plan.
The plan, currently in draft form, offers a comprehensive look at recreation amenities throughout the valley, while highlighting what else residents desire. It is an advisory document meant to help board members decide what projects to pursue with future funding. In recent years, MetRec’s budget has grown significantly due to the county’s increasing prop-
erty values, and a 2022 ballot measure that increased its collections in the North Valley.
The valley has no shortage of organizations and government entities that have a hand in recreation, whether that be the U.S. Forest Service, Gunnison County or local nonprofits like Gunnison Trails or the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association. The developing recreation plan will help ensure that each organization has a clear idea of what programs, paths and trailheads exist before embarking on, and paying for, new projects. MetRec’s contractor Norris Design presented the draft at a meeting on Jan. 29.
“It’s embedded in partnership. It's not about MetRec doing the whole thing, but it's MetRec A6
Recovery coalition set for busy year
Substance use treatment resources growing in valley
Abby Harrison Times Staff Writer
In the Gunnison Valley, alcohol and drug addiction lingers in the lives of local residents. In an effort to reach more people, the community’s recovery network, GRASP, is attempting to streamline resources for people struggling with addiction in the first quarter of the year. GRASP, housed within Gunnison County Juvenile Services, is a group of community partners addressing gaps in care for substance use dis -
order, prevention, treatment and recovery. Over the years, GRASP has distributed life-saving resources like fentanyl test strips, hosted sober community events and given training on how to use Narcan, a medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.
“As we expand our network, more and more people are showing up,” said GRASP Coordinator Kyle Tibbett. “And so [we’re] continuing to be vigilant about making sure all of this work that's going on, as it relates to substance use disorder, that GRASP can be that hub.”
In the new year, the group has assigned a four-month plan for each of its subcommittees — recovery, events and education — to reinvigorate the coalition’s work in 2025. With more recovery providers and peers
Recovery A5
SPEEDY SKIERS: Racers lined up at the starting line on Elk Avenue for the annual Alley Loop in Crested Butte on Feb. 1. For more, see A12. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
“Gunnison feels like a healing mecca — just this little-bitty spot of all kinds of wonderful healers and yoga teachers.”
— Desirae PentonCrosley, Sanctuary Somatics See story on A9
GVH expands Bilingual Patient Navigator program
The Gunnison Valley Health Foundation received a second year grant from the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation to expand its efforts in making health care more accessible for Spanish-speaking and Cora community members in Gunnison.
Language barriers can often prevent patients from receiving timely and appropriate care, leading to misdiagnosis, poor health outcomes and a lack of trust in the health care system. To address this, GVH launched a Bilingual Patient Navigator program, which has helped guide patients through health care processes. Cinthia Saenz, a longtime Gunnison resident and community organizer, joined GVH in 2023 to lead the program.
With this grant, the foundation will expand the navigator program, allowing GVH to serve more patients and focus on critical areas like behavioral health, senior care and other specialty services. The hospital also has plans to continue training medical interpreters to provide support across all departments.
Baker appointed to Housing Authority board
The conclusion of Josh Lambert’s term created a vacancy on the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority Board at the end of January. During a regular meeting on Jan. 14, city councilors appointed Wade Baker to serve as the city-resident representative on the nine-member board. His term will expire January 2026. As the vice president of operations for Gunnison Valley Health, Baker brings expertise in overseeing employee housing initiatives, he wrote in his letter of interest. In his role, Baker has successfully grown the hospital’s housing program from two units to 39 owned or leased units.
Lyle Richard (Dick) Bratton
Lyle Richard (Dick) Bratton was born April 12, 1932, in Salida, Colorado to Lyle Wareham and Mary Alice (Body) Bratton, both children of gold miners. Dick’s maternal grandmother was born in Leadville, Colorado, his paternal grandfather came to Chaffee County from Oklahoma in 1880. His maternal grandparents moved from Nova Scotia, Canada to Cripple Creek shortly after the turn of the 19 century where Dick’s grandmother ran a boarding house for the miners. He lived his first seven years at the base of Monarch Pass in the town of Garfield, where his father was a miner at the CF&I quarry and, later, a brakeman for the Rio Grande Railroad’s 3rd Division which went over Monarch and Marshall passes. His mother was a teacher in the one-room schoolhouse in Garfield.
Dick went to kindergarten and first grade at the school in Garfield, after which he attended school in Salida where, in 1950, he graduated from Salida High School. Dick was involved in sports and extracurricular activities, including football, basketball, track, National Honor Society and student council, where he served as president. From an early age, Dick had a deep passion for the outdoors, enjoying fly fishing and hunting with his father and, later in life, as a father and grandfather sharing it with his children, grandchildren and their spouses. During the summers, he worked on ranches in Chaffee County where he
learned about the importance of water, an important theme he carried throughout his life.
In the fall of 1950, Dick started school at Western State College (now Western Colorado University) with an academic scholarship. In keeping with his love of sports, Dick walked on to play football where he played defensive back all four years. A friend convinced him that to stay in shape for football and track he should go out for the wrestling team, even though he had never even seen a wrestling match. He was quite successful and won two conference championships. In the spring he ran track, competing in the 400-yard dash and both hurdle events.
Dick was also involved in student government, serving one term as student body treasurer, and one as student body president. In the winter of his freshman year, he met beautiful 16-year-old Donna Rae Howard at a dance in Gunnison. Donna’s mother absolutely forbade her daughters from dating “college boys,” but lucky for Dick, one of Donna’s sisters was in school with him and told her mother that he “was harmless.” They were married in the Community Church in Gunnison on Sept. 6, 1953 and were only three months shy of their 70th wedding anniversary when Donna passed in May 2023.
After his 1954 graduation from Western with a degree in accounting, Dick and Donna moved to Boulder where Dick started law school at the University of Colorado and Donna worked to support them.
After graduation he joined the U.S. Army for a six-month program at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, after which he was honorably discharged. He returned to Colorado and began practicing law in Denver until October 1958 when he was asked by prominent water attorney, Ed Dutcher, to return to Gunnison and join his practice. In 1961, Dutcher became a judge, and Dick took over the
practice and remained in practice in Gunnison for the remainder of his life, focusing on water and other natural resources, and real estate law.
Dick was one of the nation’s most respected legal experts in water law. He represented the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District for over 40 years handling legal, policy and political issues. He successfully argued cases before the Colorado Supreme Court involving water rights issues with the Taylor Park Reservoir and Taylor River and the Union Park Project. These decisions helped establish water rights for environmental and recreation use — increasing the brown trout population on the Taylor River by 90% and creating predictable flows for boaters, the basis for a thriving boating industry.
He was an active member of the Colorado Water Congress for more than 60 years, serving as its president in 1975 and receiving its Wayne N. Aspinall Leadership award in 2002. In 2002, Dick was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as chairman of the Upper Colorado Water Commission, which governs the four states of the Upper Colorado River Basin and coordinates with the three states of the Lower Colorado River Basin. He held this position from 2002-2010.
Water wasn’t Dick’s only passion; he was equally as passionate about education. In 1963 he was named to the Board of Trustees of the State Colleges of Colorado. From 1974-1975, Dick served as the board’s president. As a water attorney, Dick realized the importance of water and water rights in the West and, in 1975, along with Duane Vandenbusche, with great foresight created the Western State College Water Workshop to bring together speakers and audiences from across sectors to educate people about water issues facing Colorado and the West.
Dick also created the Western State College
Foundation through the utilization of funds from the estate of Jessie Thornton (wife of former Colorado governor and Gunnison rancher Dan Thornton) and later the estate of Governor Thornton. Initially the Foundation provided funds specifically toward undergraduate biology students. Currently, the Foundation is the holding place for donations which fund scholarships for students and opportunities for faculty. He and Dan Tredway led efforts to purchase and raze Ruland Junior High School and have the city deed it to Western, providing the land where the Rady Building now stands.
Dick also spearheaded the creation of Western’s outdoor recreation program, kicking off the endeavor with a conference which featured a speaker who predicted that outdoor recreation would be a billiondollar industry. At the time of his death, Dick was still speaking about his dream of an outdoor recreation program that brought Western students into direct contact with the leaders in the industry.
A lifelong Republican, Dick was active in local, state and national politics — and particularly if it involved water, he was involved. Although he was a Republican, he was willing to support Democrats if they supported water rights that positively impacted Gunnison. He was honored to represent Colorado at the Republican National Convention and the inauguration of President George W. Bush in 2001.
Dick had a natural passion for people and their stories, regardless of age or background. He never met a stranger and was laughingly referred to by strangers and family alike as “The Mayor.” A natural connector, Dick always found something in common with everyone he met. He knew their grandfather, father or someone who played football in their hometown. In fact, in looking at Western’s continued on A3
UNDERCONTRACT
2023 football roster he realized that he had a relative who played for Western. The week before he passed, they met for dinner!
Growing up an only child, friends were extremely important to him, and he nurtured and maintained friendships that spanned his entire life. The day before he died, Dick insisted on going to Salida to see a 94-year-old friend he’d known since grade school. Not a coffee drinker, Dick did like his mochas and was equanimous in “spreading the mocha love” around Gunnison’s various coffee shops where he took a keen interest in the staff and owners, all of whom he counted among his friends. The same is true for the many restaurants in Gunnison.
After Donna passed, Dick frequently dined out where he often would invite strangers to join him and, naturally, they also became his friends. An avid sports enthusiast, he would host impromptu gettogethers to watch football and basketball games. As his family will attest, Dick knew all the box scores from all the teams in all the sports, not just the Broncos, Nuggets, Rockies or Mountaineers. He took to technology like a young person and spent many of his dinners looking at his phone to get and share the latest scores. From the time he and Donna returned to Gunnison in 1958, Dick was a fixture at Gunnison High School and Western athletic events, theatre and music presentations.
Over the course of his life, Dick was the recipient of numerous awards. These include: 1963, Award of Merit, Colorado Bar Association Young Lawyers Section; 2002, Wayne N. Aspinall Leadership Award, Colorado Water Congress; 2003, Gunnison County Stockgrowers Distinguished Service Award; 2007, Karl Ranous Professionalism Award; 2009, President’s Award, Colorado Foundation for Water Education; 2010, Western Colorado University Athletic Hall of Fame; 2011, William Lee Knous Award, University of Colorado School of Law; 2011, John Vanderhoof Award, Club 20; 2011, Western Colorado
University Mountaineer Sculpture dedicated to his honor. He was also the recipient of an honorary doctorate, Outstanding Alumni Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award all from Western Colorado University; as well as being inducted into the prestigious Order of the Water Buffalo of the Colorado Bar Association.
While friends were incredibly important to him, Dick’s greatest passion and pride was his family. Dick was a proud father and instilled in his daughters the importance of education, hard work and giving back to people and their community. His grandchildren were the lucky recipients of special Christmas gifts, one-on-one time with “Papa Dick,” where he would take them fishing, on a rafting trip, to dinner and a theatre show, a sporting event, or some other special occasion where he could spend dedicated time.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents (Lyle and Mary Bratton) and his beloved wife Donna (Howard). He is survived by his daughters Susan Bratton (Jonathan Gordon) and Sara Bratton Bradbury, granddaughters Anna Peterson (Erik), Abby Sugiyama (Yuri), and Katie Bradbury, and four grandchildren (Luke and Kai Suguyiama and Lily and Kira Peterson).
Memorial services will be held at Western Colorado University in the Paul Wright Gymnasium on March 2, 2025, at 1 p.m. and a truly Dick Bratton celebration of life at the I Bar Ranch on June 28, 2025 at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Western Colorado University Foundation Dick and Donna Bratton Memorial Scholarship or to the Gunnison Community Foundation in their name.
Ethel Marie Rice
Ethel Marie Rice passed away in Gunnison on Jan. 19, 2025. A full obituary will appear in next week’s paper.
Mary Jo Somrak was born May 12, 1942 in Pueblo, Colorado. She passed away Sept. 20, 2024 in Gunnison, Colorado. Services were held at the Queen of All Saints church in Crested Butte. She was laid to rest in the Crested Butte Cemetery with the rest of her family. She was very proud to hail from Crested Butte.
Mary Jo was preceded in death by her mom Josephine (Babe) Somrak, her dad Rudolph (Shammy) Somrak, Sr., and brother James Joseph Somrak. She is survived by her son Michael and his family, and her oldest brother Shammy Jr. and his family, along with many cousins near and far.
After her birth, not uncommon at the time, the family returned to Crested Butte where she was raised with her older brother, Shammy, Jr. and her younger brother, Jimmy, across the alley from Slogars, Croatian Hall, then moved around the corner onto Whiterock Avenue across the street from her grandparents, Mary and Rudah Sedmak along with several aunts and uncles and cousins — all living on the same street.
She was known as a mom, sister, Auntie Mary Jo, MJ, Gramma Peek, Peek, Gramma Jo and Cookie — a nickname given to her by her uncle, Joe Sedmak (Cheech). Last but not least, she was also known as Flauschink Queen in 1974.
She attended elementary, middle and high school in Crested Butte where she was cheerleader and played the French horn. She had a few fun summers working at Harmels up Taylor Canyon. She had a brief one-year stint at nursing school in Pueblo, but saying, “It just wasn’t for me,” she returned to her beloved Crested Butte.
She worked several jobs
continued on A5
PARENT EDUCATION:
• CRESTED BUTTE — CBCS, Feb. 6, 5:30-7 p.m.
• GUNNISON — Fred Field Center, Feb. 24, 5:30-7 p.m.
This session aims to equip parents with essential skills and tools to guide youth in using technology responsibly and as safely as possible. We will explore topics like safer phone use, healthy boundaries, recognizing online risks and scams, fostering open communication and empowering youth to make informed choices in the digital world. Join us to learn how to support the next generation in building a positive and secure relationship with technology. Free dinner will be provided to those who RSVP with the QR code.
Gems from the BiBle GOD’S LOVE
I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)
FRI. 2/7 — HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS MAJESTIC Theatre at 6:30 p.m.
FRI. 2/14 — THE PRINCESS BRIDE WCU Theater at 6 p.m.
Production Manager Issa Forrest issa@gunnisontimes.com
THE GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES (ISSN 0892-1113) is published weekly by Alan Wartes Media LLC., 218 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, Colorado 81230. Periodical postage paid at Gunnison, Colorado. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Gunnison Country Times, 218 N. Wisconsin, Gunnison, CO 81230-0240
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Another reason to ‘Live, love (and buy) local’
George Sibley Special to the Times
The second thing President Donald Trump’s new chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, did on assuming his duties was to withdraw requests for public comments on FTC informationgathering dockets about corporate “surveillance pricing” online. “Predatory pricing,” and other shady tactics had been a focus of the Commission under Biden’s chairwoman Lina Khan, who initiated the requests for comments to gather information.
“Surveillance pricing” is a process whereby, in a nano -
LETTERS
Remembering Dick Bratton
Editor:
I grew up in Denver, but I’ve come to realize that I was raised on Firebrand and friendships in Gunnison. Among those cherished friendships was Dick Bratton — a man who, while not always universally understood or agreed with, had his own brand of love and vision for the valley.
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It saddened me to hear of his passing, knowing we wouldn't get to share one last laugh about the first time we met. I was a young woman, fresh out of college and working for the Gunnison Country Times. The newspaper was a mess back then, and after putting the paper to bed each week, a drink was often in order.
That’s when I met Dick sitting alone at the bar of the Brick Cellar. I took a seat beside him, and when he introduced himself, I immediately blurted out, “Oh! You’re Dick Bratton. This town has a love-hate relationship with you!”
And we both laughed.
Dick loved to retell that moment anytime we were together. In fact, the last time we saw each other, we drove up to Crested Butte to support our mutual friend Phil Weiser, who was then running for Colorado attorney general. It was a proud moment — Dick, a Republican; Phil, a Democrat; and me, unaffiliated — standing side by side. It’s a memory I hold close, a reminder of what’s possible
second or two, your incoming order is weighed in light of everything they know about you: your zipcode neighborhood, the phone you’re calling in on and the raft of other data being piled up in servers on all of us in corporate headquarters around the — well, the world.
And depending on that data from this surveillance, the price you are invoiced may be a little more than you saw on the website. Not much, but great fortunes are built on lots of pennies here and there. In the 29 comments that came in before the request was withdrawn, Amazon was mentioned, as were grocery chains and VRBO sites.
“Predatory pricing” is the phenomenon people experience most often in trying to buy airline tickets whose prices won’t stay still, especially in a situation with several thousand people stranded in an airport in a storm. (More about the FTC on these issues at regulations.
when we show up as humans first.
In his memory, I recognize that Dick taught me something invaluable about community: we don’t have to believe the same things to participate with love and respect. And it’s okay if people disagree with you.
Gunnison raised me to understand the deep meaning of community, and Dick was one of many teachers. And as I always said to Dick, every time he brought it up (which was every time), “This town may have a love-hate relationship with you, but I’m more love than hate — I love you.”
Peace to you, my friend. And peace to all of you, my friends. I miss so many of you now that I hail from the shores of Northern Michigan.
Delaney Keating Michigan
We cherish our sense of place
Editor:
Dear County Commissioners and Planning Commission: Five years ago, we would not have imagined the Starview development and the potential for over 80 single family “Airbnb” units — essentially a hotel “farm” at the mouth of CB South. Five years from now we will be shocked at the unintended and unconsidered impacts if the plan proceeds.
Recently I drove from my
gov/docket/FTC-2025-0011.)
This is the Federal Trade Commission under a president who was elected on a promise to lower grocery prices. But given the front-row presence at the inauguration of America’s grocer-in-chief, Jeff Bezos, we can imagine that he is closer to the president’s ear than any of his customers will ever be, as to what’s best for grocery pricing.
There are two ways to address such practices. One is to write our congressman and senators, the president, and all the other ways they recommend for citizen input, and tell them to stop treating us like we're nothing but exploitable consumers. Do it if you’re so inclined.
But another way (which doesn’t preclude the first) is to forego the convenience of oneclick shopping and buy local when you can. We vote with our dollars as well as our ballots, and our choices, dollar by dollar, will either be voting for stronger valley communities or
home in CB South to California, passing through the rows of cookie cutter subdivisions on the outskirts of St. George, Utah, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Bakersfield, California. I had an “ah ha” moment when I all too easily recognized the similarities in planning and design with the proposed Starview subdivision.
The Gunnison County vision statement says that we cherish our sense of place. The Starview project in this location does not fit Gunnison County and should be rejected. I ask that you please consider the following.
What are we really getting?
The lack of housing inventory has been used to argue for this development. Indeed, the critical lack of housing needs to be addressed, but not in a way that makes things demonstrably worse. This project could result in each individual market rate unit being sold to investors for short-term rentals (STR), essentially creating an STR farm at the entrance to CB South. As previously stated, this project does not address the “missing middle.”
Understand that each house will be constructed cookie cutter style by the developer. As the entrance to the beautiful valley, this would not enhance the “community character” that we all hope to preserve. Aesthetics play an essential role in creating a sense of place and community.
Emergency planning/access: With one access-egress, inout, of the valley for most of the year and one access-egress,
voting for a stronger corporate culture out there.
To be sure, there are things we need, or just want that we can’t get locally, and somebody out there will have it. And some local places are less “local” than others — chains, franchises. But even then – buying local pays some local wages and taxes. And you might run into someone you know, or meet someone you didn’t. But given what’s going on at the Federal Trade Commission, it is also a vote for where we are, who we are, against politicaleconomic powers to whom we are just data to be profitably manipulated.
(George Sibley is a Gunnison writer, thinker and elder of the headwaters.)
in-out, of CB South, the project greatly exacerbates risks to current residents and future residents in already approved developments. Please note that the current plan has one “emergency egress” exit at the southern end of the lot, while the population is congregated near the northern entrance.
The long-term trend is clear. We are at a transformational point in all communities. In Gunnison Valley, please protect us today and 20 years into the future.
One valley:
Any project should be considered in concert with other projects. This project does not begin to acknowledge its neighbor, CB South, in coordinating shared recreational amenities, paths, etc. Lack of cooperation and coordination create “silo” developments that do not build community.
The Starview project is not acceptable for this location for numerous reasons. As noted by many, commercial uses compete with CB South. Wildlife protection should be a critical goal. Traffic and access issues are dangerously unacceptable. The list is long.
I hope you will use your role and reject this project and put the needs of existing residents who already face mounting pressures over the needs of developers.
Patricia Harrington Crested Butte South
across the valley, there’s a need to make sure each is working together, and to not duplicate programs and use grant money efficiently, Tibbett said.
The county is working with a new partner, Sagebrush Recovery. Sagebrush places peers, or people with lived experience with substance use disorder or a mental health disorder, within rural communities to bolster their ability to help people in active recovery. Two Sagebrush coaches currently live in Gunnison County, and another is in training.
Gunnison Valley Health (GVH) Behavioral Services employs peer support specialists, but they do more crisis-oriented work, whereas Sagebrush specializes in ongoing, day-today peer support, Tibbett said. Peers are not sponsors or therapists, and therefore have more freedom to meet people in the community, for coffee or a hike, and help people weather triggers or just get through a hard day, said Sagebrush Program Director Laura Allem.
“We've been there. We've done that, you know? We're on step five when they may be on step two,” Allem said. “We are also resource brokers. So if they need to find resources we have experience.”
GRASP also continues to work with Porchlight Health, formerly known as Front Range Clinic. Porchlight offers a range
OBITUARIES
continued from A2
She worked several jobs around the valley and then for a brief time at the U.S. Forest Service in Gunnison. After that she landed at the Crested Butte Ski Area, now known as Crested Butte Mountain Resort. This was her love job where she thrived and remained for the next 30+ years where she became a “fixture” at the Axtell Building until retirement.
During one brief ski area slowdown, she worked four years for AMAX but then returned to her “original desk” in the Axtell Building working for Bo Callaway, Ralph Walton and Tim and Diane Mueller. She loved her co-workers — from her bosses, to the lift-ops, the pro-athletes, her beloved ski
of substance use disorder treatments, such as medically assisted treatment — which uses medication to target alcohol and opioid use disorders — and behavioral and psychiatric services. Porchlight has worked for years within the county, and has partnered with GVH and the Gunnison County Detention Center for jail-based behavioral services.
“We are trying to make access to care as easy as possible for as many folks who are seeking it as possible,” said Dayna DeHerrera-Smith, Porchlight’s director of community engagement and development.
In Gunnison, Porchlight also offers extended care in the form of withdrawal management. This is a more comprehensive, outpatient check-in program that helps people as they go through withdrawal. This can include medical visits, followup phone calls and take-home detox medication.
For residents living in a mountain town like Gunnison — who face extreme weather, high cost of living and social occasions that revolve around alcohol — connection over sobriety is essential, DeHerreraSmith said. Other obstacles like unreliable internet, or geographic isolation, can make access to treatment in these areas more challenging.
“They have always said that addiction thrives in isolation, and the opposite of addiction is connection,” she said. “You hear that quite a bit. I think [we need] more environments that
patrol and mountain maintenance. Upon retirement, and in her honor, a ski trail on the mountain was named “Mary Jo.” She was fond of saying, “I’m now on the map!” She was in the know, was trusted, nonjudgmental, fair, a good listener, non-prejudice, a good communicator and knew well the inner workings of the resort. If someone needed something done, they would always say, “You need to go find Mary Jo.”
Mary Jo loved her son Michael along with Crested Butte’s countless polka parties, its miners, its builders, the ranchers, athletes and even the hippies sitting on the bench in front of the Company Store. Her motto was, “Give everyone a fair shake and a friendly wave.” She loved to pray for others, be with
Case closed
foster that connection.”
GRASP and its local partners, including Crested Butte State of Mind and GVH Behavioral Services, are also hoping to create a community calendar of events for recovery-friendly activities that aren’t limited to AA meetings. This could include hiking, fishing, rock climbing or community meals. One place to coalesce sober-friendly activities is The Phoenix app, said GVH peer support specialist Phil Bohannon.
The Phoenix offers a platform for sober-friendly events around the country, based around physical activity. Bohannon is working to establish a local chapter in Gunnison, mirroring the app’s success on Front Range and in cities like Grand Junction and Telluride. The app offers a social media-type forum, where users can share their experiences at each of the events.
“[Gunnison] has a really robust recovery community and also a really good outdoors community as well,” Bohannon said. “I want to get those two things linked together.”
He hopes the app could eventually be a resource for people in recovery who are just passing through, or spending a weekend in the Gunnison Valley. The events are also open to friends and family who want to accompany their loved one in recovery for a hike or day on the river.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)
family and friends, dancing the polka and riding horses in the backcountry with her dad — just to name a few. She loved the mountains of Crested Butte and Durango where she could enjoy her grandchildren, Joey, Annie and Sarah. There were never enough good books to read, enough children or animals to love and being a grandmother was the icing on the cake. She had a great sense of humor up until the end.
Mary Jo will never be forgotten and will always be loved. Her final moments were just as she would have liked it — being with “just us.” I’m sure she is dancing up a storm in heaven. God bless you Mary Jo, and rest in peace.
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Gunnison Police Chief Keith Robinson retired last month after more than four decades of service. “Chief Robinson is a leader who works shoulder to shoulder with his officers to do what needs to be done, without needing acknowledgement or praise … The city expresses our unwavering appreciation for the tireless effort he put forth to ensure officers have the equipment and training they need to serve and protect this community,” Mayor Diego Plata said in a proclamation reading during a city council meeting on Jan. 28. Later that week, the city hosted a community retirement party for him.
(Courtesy Jordyn Dorrance/City of Gunnison)
ADA plan
es needed to meet federal ADA requirements.
In the past, residents have reached out to various city officials with ADA complaints. Some contacted the Gunnison Police Department, and officers did their best to share the information with the city’s engineering or street maintenance teams. As requests were passed between different departments, seemingly simple asks, like fixing a sidewalk, became a challenge to prioritize and budget for.
City staff took note of commonly used spaces that are not accessible to all, such as the high counters where residents pay utility bills within the finance department. Many of the city’s events, like the annual Fourth of July celebration, are hosted on grass lawns, which can be difficult for wheelchair users to navigate.
With further input from the community, the city will begin a “self evaluation” this spring that creates an inventory of the barriers that exist. The ADA project will conclude with a transition plan that helps the city increase accessibility within its parks and playgrounds, recreation programs on streets and sidewalks and even on its website. The living document will be updated on a five-year basis. The city is preparing to hire a consultant in March.
It’s fairly common for municipalities to be out of ADA compliance as most cities were built long before the law was passed in 1990, Christine Kuhlman told city councilors during a regular meeting on Jan. 28. Kuhlman
is the city’s formal ADA advisor, who will support the city as it crafts a transition plan. She has worked in the field for more than two decades, and helps local governments interpret the complexities of the act.
While some disabilities are visible, many people are living with those that are not. Hearing loss, autism and agerelated impairments may not be so obvious, Kuhlman said.
According to 2023 census data reports, roughly 9% of the adults living in Gunnison under the age of 65 have a disability. This figure does not include older adults living with cognitive, hearing and vision loss.
ADA requires cities to remove as many accessibility barriers as it can within the means of budget and staff time constraints.
Aware of the city’s limitations, Kuhlman said her goal is to help develop a “meaningful” transition plan.
“It’s not realistic that everything can be brought into compliance immediately and all at once. That’s impossible, actually,” Kuhlman said. “So Title II says ‘Okay, take an inventory and find where all of your barriers are hiding.”
Barriers may exist at a public playground that make it difficult for a grandparent in a wheelchair to access, or on city streets missing curb ramps to the sidewalk. But not all accessibility improvements are “pour-concrete projects,” she told Times. Some are as simple as replacing door knobs. Round door knobs can be difficult for individuals that use a walker, or those with a physical disability that make it difficult to twist and grip. Installing signage at the entrance of a building that directs visitors to an elevator, a ramp or an accessible bathroom
of Hwy. 50, where families or kids have to cross the highway to reach a playground.
really the whole valley doing it together,” Gunnison Senior Center Coordinator Elizabeth Gillis said at the board meeting. Gillis also served on one of the plan’s advisory committees. “[It’s] how to form these new partnerships and working relationships, to come together and make this happen together.”
The plan revealed a need for more rec path connectivity across the valley, and more organized indoor and outdoor recreation space in and near each town. At a granular level, these needs vary between Gunnison and Crested Butte. For example, Gunnison residents voiced an interest in pickleball courts and outdoor volleyball courts and more indoor recreation space, such as more swim lanes at the existing rec center. Unlike in Crested Butte, outdoor field space was not as pressing in Gunnison. For example, Gunnison Community School will be getting two more fields through the school district’s renovation project.
Gunnison residents also stated that they wanted more parks and playgrounds in “underserved” areas of town, said Norris Senior Associate Tori Aidala. This is primarily in neighborhoods south
is another small project that can be “a big deal,” she said.
The city’s upcoming self evaluation is not just an inventory of the city’s barriers, but a survey of public opinion on the disabled community’s needs, Kuhlman told councilors.
“That's what the plan is all about,” she said. “You want to make sure that you use your resources to remove barriers that are going to have the greatest impact.”
During this part of the project, the city will also collect photographs of its facilities and generate estimates for how much improvements will cost. Transition plans generally focus on a few major projects, some split into phases. For example, if sidewalks in town need curb ramps, the city could commit to replacing a set number each year. The document is designed to be updated and evolve as time passes if more resources become available or new problems arise.
“It's not really an option to just say we can't afford to do anything, but it's perfectly reasonable to say we can do this much this year,” Kuhlman said.
In the past, the transition plans of local governments tended to get stuck on a shelf in the city clerk’s office, and progress was difficult to track, she said. But using new geographic information system (GIS) technology, the city will be able to create an online map that’s available to the public that shows proposed ADA projects. If residents have an accessibility question about a particular corner or sidewalk, or park or bathroom, they will be able to look at the list and see if and how it has been addressed.
Mayor Diego Plata asked if the plan would address projects
at public spaces outside of the city’s direct oversight, such as the Fred Field Center and the airport. Kuhlman said the scope of the plan is limited to properties that are owned and operated solely by the city, such as City Hall, the Gunnison Rec Center and Jorgensen Park.
While Gunnison County’s work to provide ADA access looks a little different, Assistant County Manager John Cattles told the Times that the county “meets and exceeds” ADA requirements in its buildings. Its housing projects, such as Sawtooth in Gunnison, include ADA compliant units that can range from homes intended for wheelchair accessibility to those adapted for tenants with sight or hearing impairments. Whetstone has been designed to include double the number of ADA units required by law, he said.
The city has already taken small steps to increase accessibility. In 2023, the clerk and recorder’s office launched a formal grievance procedure, allowing residents to submit ADA complaints directly. This was accompanied by improvements
to the readability of its website, as well as its presentations during public meetings. Even small adjustments to the font size, the position of the text on the page and the color contrast can make it easier for screen readers. These software programs convert text to speech, allowing the blind or visually impaired to access information online.
Exactly how much the city invests in its transition plan each year in the future will be subject to city council discussion as the plan evolves. In the beginning, it will likely be a larger amount, City Manager Amanda Wilson told councilors. “Over time, hopefully we continue to chip away at it, but we'll certainly need to invest more than we currently are,” Wilson said.
(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)
In Crested Butte, indoor recreation space was a clear priority. Last fall, MetRec presented early-stage designs for a recreation center in the North Valley. It is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars, and could include a pool and an indoor track. Were MetRec to pursue that project, the earliest it would open is 2031, said John Barnholt of Barker Rinker Seacat (BRS), another plan consultant. Residents across the valley also expressed interest in an amphitheater, to create more formal space (rain or shine) for concerts or other outdoor events.
It was obvious early in the planning process that rec path planning was a top-of-list item for both Gunnison and Crested Butte-area residents, Aidala said. For this reason, Norris catalogued existing paths across the valley, but also where locals feel connections are missing. For example, the stretch of road between Crested Butte and Crested Butte South, and Gunnison to Hartman Rocks or Blue Mesa Reservoir were identified as high-priority. The rec paths also reflect the community’s desire for increased safety while com -
In June 2024, MetRec hosted outreach events in Gunnison and Crested Butte to gather input on the community’s top recreation priorities. (Courtesy Norris Design)
The city clerk’s office houses Gunnison’s ADA coordinator. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
muting or during casual recreation, Aidala said. While pedestrian paths are generally seen as safer ways to commute and get around, the fragmentation of those paths — an abrupt stop next to the highway or no paths between popular locations — creates unnecessary danger from nearby traffic and roads. The district is now looking to complete an additional master plan focusing on rec paths in 2025, which could lay out a timeline for some of these projects.
“This community is so trail and recreation heavy, and we don't even have the basic infrastructure to connect those parts and pieces, let alone the safety,” said board member Earl Marshall. “Roundabouts are coming. More people are coming. The traffic in the mornings, coming down to the school is insane. So to have the opportunity to get people out
of cars on safe routes is such a game changer.”
Despite the long timeline for most of the projects in the plan, Marshall highlighted one component that is of immediate value to the community: an inventory of all recreation programs across the valley. The inventory could be posted online, in a format where users could sort activities based on type, age range and location, Aidala said.
That inventory, compiled with help from over 50 local organizations, revealed that for its relatively small permanent population, the valley has an abundance of rec programs. However, there was less prevalence of organized indoor fitness and aquatics programs, programming for teens and valleywide senior services.
MetRec intends to move slowly and work with other stakeholders to see projects through, Aidala said. Both the City of Gunnison and the Town of Crested Butte are
embarking on recreation planning in 2025, so the district will wait to see what those processes reveal before forging ahead with large projects. Plus, each project still needs a feasibility study, which would reveal the actual cost to build and run any of these new programs, Barnholt said.
“I look at it like we’re turning over the rock on what the needs are, and then what it would take to meet the needs,” said District Manager Derrick Nehrenberg.
“I wouldn't necessarily say we're committed to, or we're going full steam ahead on all aspects of this plan. We're going to have to prioritize pretty carefully,”
The district hopes to approve the final plan this month. The draft planning document is available on MetRec’s website at gcmetrec.com.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@ gunnisontimes.com.)
MetRec conducted an online survey to gather input to help guide the regional recreation plan.
or small office space. The 2-car detached garage features 8-foot doors and 10-foot ceilings inside, providing ample space for your vehicles and storage needs. The extra space above the garage, accessible via exterior stairs, presents exciting opportunities. Whether you need additional storage or dream of an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), the potential is yours to explore with City of Gunnison approval. Don’t miss the chance to make this new construction your forever home. Contact us now to schedule a viewing and witness the epitome of contemporary living!
TBD W Denver Ave. MLS# 816647 $599,000
Spectacular 2.5 acre level lot located in Gunnison’s new subdivision Elk Ranch. This parcel is located just outside City limits on the west side of town and seller has it set up to be built on immediately. Lot has a well permit already in place along with the required approval for well from the Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy District which can be transferred at closing. Buyer of lot may also pay for tap fees to hook into the City water and sewer main that will be extended north by City this fall. There is a shared road/driveway into the subdivision and it will be completed by this fall as well. Lot has been surveyed and a building envelope has been established for a single family residence but other dwellings such as barns/sheds etc. will be allowed. Come enjoy some country living with incredible views of mountains up Ohio Valley and the Palisades while being so close to town.
457 Ute Dr. (Arrowhead) MLS# 820145 $40,000 Beautiful, secluded 1 acre lot located on the north edge of the Arrowhead subdivision off of the main road. Bring your RV or plan to build your private mountain retreat on this sloped, nicely treed
GVH expands services with new dermatology clinic
Joelle Ashley Special to the Times
Gunnison Valley Health (GVH) is launching new dermatology services, bringing advanced skin care expertise to the community starting in early March.
Leading this initiative is Dr. Nickolas Poulos, a highly skilled, board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. By offering dermatology services locally, Gunnison Valley Health makes it easier than ever for everyone in the Gunnison Valley to receive the care they need without leaving the valley.
Before joining GVH, Poulos founded Global Dermatology in Colorado Springs, where he provided personalized, patientcentered care.
and chemical peels.
Starting March 3, Poulos will be available for appointments at the Specialty Clinic at Gunnison Valley Health Hospital on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Gunnison Valley Orthopedics in Crested Butte on Tuesdays.
2 Ridge Lane MLS# 817530 $330,000 2 bedroom/2 bath home with 1 car attached garage located in Antelope Hills. Cozy home with all appliances included, huge fenced yard and great views from the top floor! Good value in our market!
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Poulos to Gunnison Valley Health,” said hospital CEO Jason Amrich. “His expertise and commitment to high-quality dermatologic care will provide our community with longawaited access to essential and advanced skin care services and decrease wait times for dermatology services for our community”
“Living in the Gunnison Valley means embracing an active and outdoor lifestyle, but it also comes with unique skin care challenges,” Poulos said. “I’m excited to bring personalized dermatology services to our community so residents can enjoy the care they need without the hassle of traveling far from home.”
Patients can schedule appointments by calling 970.641.3927. The dermatology clinic is now accepting new patients. To learn more visit gunnisonvalleyhealth.org/ derm.
Poulos brings a wide range of dermatological expertise, including: Routine skin checks and treatment for common conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis; advanced surgical techniques, including Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer; and cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections
JESUS LORD
(Joelle Ashley is the marketing and communications director for Gunnison Valley Health.)
Grit, ice and a belay device
Climbers scrambled up frozen towers during the annual ice festival at the Lake City Ice Park on Feb. 1. While some athletes put their best crampon-clad foot forward for a shot at the podium, others climbed for fun or learned the basics in clinics hosted by the Colorado Climbing Company. Climbing competition results will be available soon at lakecityice. com/festival.
Nickolas Poulos
BIZ CENTS
A grounded space
Sanctuary Somatics grand re-opening this weekend
Mariel Wiley Times Photo Editor
For over a decade, many have sought respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life at Sanctuary Somatics. Despite the space’s inviting nature, studio director Joe Bob Merritt knew two things were missing: a consistent class schedule and a deeper sense of community. This year marks a new chapter for Sanctuary Somatics, as they transition from a cooperative space to a more traditional yoga studio model. A grand re-opening celebration will be held at the studio this weekend.
The multipurpose studio, located at 513 S. Main St, has played host to a variety of wellness practitioners and programs over the years, from yoga workshops to crystal singing bowl sound baths. Sanctuary Somatics has operated as a cooperative space since the 2010s, in which independent practitioners could rent the space to host classes and workshops.
While this model enabled a great deal of flexibility for the studio owners and practitioners, classes and workshops were inconsistent. This made building connections with teachers and fellow guests and sticking to a regular habit of practicing yoga more difficult, Merritt said.
Now, the studio will offer a set schedule of classes each week, and will include a variety of yoga, meditation and dance offerings in addition to occasional workshops and retreats.
“It’s not just a yoga studio, it’s movement in so many different forms,” said Sanctuary Somatics Artistic Liaison Amanda Sage. “It’s opening up that energy inside of our body and minds, and to not do that alone. I think people are longing for that.”
A new studio manager, Desirae Penton-Crosley, will oversee day-to-day operations, and two new yoga instructors will bolster class offerings. Penton-Crosley, who moved to the valley this month from Oklahoma, has been involved in the yoga world as a student and as a teacher for decades. She owned and operated her own studio in Oklahoma for 12 years before moving west.
“Gunnison feels like a healing mecca — just this little-bitty spot of all kinds of wonderful healers and yoga teachers,” Penton-Crosley said.
A revamped website and online booking system will allow guests to create an account and sign up for classes
in advance. Punch passes, dropin rates and memberships offer a range of affordability to guests.
The updates at Sanctuary Somatics arrive during a boom of new yoga and somatic practices at the south end of the valley. Crux Pilates, located in the High Attitude Dance Academy, started offering yoga and pilates classes to the public last September. At the Maya Wellness Center on Main Street, renovations to expand the streetfront yoga studio and acupuncture rooms are almost done.
These studios, centered around healing and wellness, serve as a place for people to find different forms of mental and physical therapy when recovering from injury, a common occurrence in the adventure-sport hot spot that is the Gunnison Valley, said Sanctuary Somatics Community Development Coordinator Heidi Magnus.
“I love that there are all these different options that are popping up, and it’s so obvious that people are ready to come back out [to practice yoga],” Magnus said. “A lot of us do these practices because we’re trying to optimize our systems to do our outdoor sports. So it’s all part of being able to function in this valley.”
Yoga studios also serve as a crucial “third space” for people to gather outside of their own homes, a resource that helps bolster mental health and social bonds especially during Gunnison’s long, cold winters.
The re-opening ceremony will kick off with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, and a special offering of 11 days of unlimited yoga for $11 starting this weekend.
“This is a celebration of us putting fresh energy into this space and reminding people that we’re here and that this is a good place to gather,” Magnus said.
(Mariel Wiley can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or mariel@ gunnisontimes.com.)
Heidi Magnus and Amanda Sage hold a cobra pose inside the Sanctuary Somatics studio. (Photo by Mariel Wiley)
(Photos by Mariel Wiley)
A winter to remember (or forget?)
Welcome to our February thaw, which has brought us out of the icebox. This year was dramatic with temperatures soaring into the 40s on Sunday, Feb. 2 (49 degrees is the record, set in 1918).
Old-timers know this is common, with the average February temperature sometimes doubling January’s average temperature. For example, in 2021 it went from 10.4 degrees to 18.9 degrees. However, the long-term average temperature change from January to February is only about 5-6 degrees.
But beware, it can also get colder in February, as the groundhog tells us. In 2023, the average temperature dropped from 10 degrees to 6 degrees from January to February, and this month is just starting. At any rate it’s a welcome relief. Now let me remind you more about January 2025.
Back in January, I heard a lot of whining and moaning about our weather: “Is this the worst cold spell ever?” And worse, some of this from old-timers who ought to know better. Come on, get a grip. This is what makes Gunnison famous (infamous?). The Denver TV weather forecasters love to point to their fancy maps and show how many degrees below zero we are compared to their balmy temperatures.
I know, we haven’t had such a cold snap in quite a while, but have you forgotten the Januarys of 2013, and especially 2008
which were quite similar to this year? Let’s see how bad January really was.
The official average January 2025 high temperature (Tmax) was 16.9 degrees compared to the long-term average of 25.8 degrees. The average low (Tmin) was 15.1 degrees below zero as opposed to the long-term average of 7.3 degrees below zero. The average temperature was 0.9 degrees compared to the longterm average of 9.3 degrees — all about 8-9 degrees colder than average.
Worse, we had a string of 13 days in a row (not quite, there was a 16 below in there) of colder than 20 degrees below zero, and one morning of 31 below zero, for the coldest, hopefully, of the winter.
Here in town, the West Ruby Avenue weather station showed an average temperature of 4.7 degrees, a Tmin of 8.7 below zero and a Tmax of 21 degrees — all of which are the normal variations from town to the official weather station west of town. Last, but not least, we still had about 11 inches of snow on the ground, left over from Thanksgiving.
Since you’ve forgotten, here are some other Januarys:
In January 2013, the average temperature was 1.4 degrees and we showed 15 days of 20 below zero or colder mostly in a consecutive string, and three days colder than 30 below. Tmax was 17.8 degrees, and Tmin was 15 degrees below zero, all quite similar to this year. There was also 5-6 inches of snow on the ground all month, so not much difference compared to this year.
The winter of 2007-2008 was probably the toughest ever based on a combination of snow and cold. January had 18 days of 20 degrees below zero or greater, and five days of 30 below, including a 38 degrees below zero. The average temperature was 2.2 below zero and Tmin was 18
below.
We had three days in a row when the temperature never got above zero all day and seven days total for the month (the record). We also set a record for total annual snowfall of 101 inches — 31.9 inches of snowfall for January. And to top it all off, we had over two feet of snow on the ground for most of the month. The snow and cold continued and we showed over 30 inches of snow on the ground for the entire month of February and continuing well into March. This was the fifth coldest month in history. The deer moved in that winter and became permanent residents.
January 1984 is the third coldest month in history with an average temperature of 2.9 degrees below zero, and a Tmin of 17.1 below and a Tmax of 10.3 degrees. We had a string of nine consecutive days of 20-below zero, two days below zero all day and a low of 39 below. The 20 below temperatures continued well into February, with 18 inches of snow on the ground, which didn’t melt out on the valley floor until mid-May, the latest ever.
January 1966 was the coldest month in Gunnison history with an average temperature of 3.6 below zero. The Tmin was 21.5 below, and the Tmax was 14.3 degrees. We had 39 days in a row when Tmin was below zero starting in late December, and had 17 nights 20 degrees below zero or colder. The average temperature was 13.4 degrees colder than normal. We also had 10-12 inches of snow on the ground.
(Bruce Bartleson is a retired emeritus professor of geology at Western Colorado University. He spends most of his time now watching the weather.)
... with an idyllic setting, Excellent hay meadows and pastures as well as a nice ranch home, a rented mobile home, exceptional pipe corrals, large greenhouse, productive garden area, fruit and vegetable cellar, various barns, sheds and shops for outbuildings. Good deeded water rights and a very nice meandering stretch of Quartz Creek runs through the property. This is a very special 298 + acre ranch that has been loved, nurtured, maintained and improved by the same family for nearly 90 years. Call for your appointment to see the ranch and take in the expansive views, enjoy the sound of the trout stream, breathe in the fresh mountain air and imagine the tranquility of owning your very own paradise personified.
$2,950,000
For additional information and photos or your appointment go to: www.monarchrlty.com or Call Matt Robbins, 970-596-0715.
Bruce “Barometer” Bartleson Special to the Times
BEAUTIFUL QUARTZ CREEK RANCH
Ski-daddle through the streets
Cowboys, aliens and other costume-clad racers sped through the streets of Crested Butte during the 39th annual Alley Loop Nordic marathon on Feb. 1. The event consists of recreational and competitive divisions, of which the former is a qualifier for the largest cross-country skiing race in the country, the American Birkebeiner. Crested Butte Nordic organized the event.
(Photos by Mariel Wiley)
2 p.m. February 11, 2025
GAC Theatre Colorado
The Gunnison Arts Center Presents: Gunnison
Walking with dinosaurs in Utah
Western students first to map 90-millionyear-old tracks
Seth Mensing Special to the Times
While Paul and Mary Ann were out on an evening walk in central Utah, where much of the earth’s geologic past is laid bare, Mary Ann saw something she’d never seen before. There, on the canyon floor, she found a single three-toed footprint cast in stone, followed by another and another. Before they knew it, there were more tracks than they could count. And more than just one set of footprints — there were many. Like a prehistoric game trail, the tracks stretched across the canyon floor, back and forth between two long-obscured locations. A river delta? A shoreline? No one could say for sure.
As a retired geologist, Paul could say that no one had documented these tracks before. While dinosaur tracks had occasionally been found in the area, trackways are uncommon, and as far as he knew, that one hadn’t been studied.
After making the discovery, Paul notified the state paleontologist and sent a photo of the tracks
to Ryan King, a geology lecturer at Western Colorado University who holds Bureau of Land Management permits to conduct paleontological studies in Utah. King is always looking for opportunities to take his students into the field. So, in September, he and 20 students piled into vans and made for the Beehive State for a weekend of field research.
“I’m happy anytime I can get students out of the classroom and into the field,” King said.
After getting more detailed permission and setting up camp at a nearby state park, the students spread out to assess the site. The trackway is long and narrow, measuring 13 meters wide and more than 38 meters long, and contains at least 104 distinct tracks. The ancient path the dinosaurs took was broken and offset, like a clean fracture midway through a bone.
The 90-million-year-old tracks themselves were dirty, or in some cases completely covered, and would need to be cleaned in order to make a full analysis. Students busied themselves staking out heavy string to make a grid of 1-meter squares, each divided into 20-centimeter quadrants. Then they made a plan, divvied up the tracks in the grid and went to work measuring and illustrating each track.
“Seeing these tracks for the first time was very exciting, but the real magic happened after we began
to sweep the dirt off of the track site,” fourth-year geology student Abigail Krueger said. “Each individual track became so much more pronounced, and we began to make connections between the tracks that were going in the same direction.”
From classroom to canyon It wasn’t the first time the class had analyzed a fossil. Before leaving Western for Utah, King and his students looked at replica tracks and discussed what they were looking for and why. They also talked about what constitutes a good question in the context of scientific inquiry and studied research papers that described the process for measuring a fossilized footprint and practiced taking the measurements.
“A lot of the tracks look like the exact same thing unless you take quantitative measures and try to differentiate them,” King said. “The devil’s in the details.”
In the field, they were able to identify the dinosaurs as mostly ornithopods, tell approximately how tall they were, how fast they were moving and whether they changed speed. Over two days in the field, they studied and measured every track they could find, traced its outline on a map of the canyon floor and made hypotheses about the animals’ movements.
“We needed to keep our notes
very organized and take pictures so we could understand our findings when we were back on campus,” Krueger said.
After returning to Gunnison, from their observations, students organized and presented their findings related to specific research questions and made a case for their conclusions in a paper. The research may lead to opportunities for students to present their findings at the Geological Society of America’s regional conference in May.
“Hopefully, it engages them enough to invest more time outside of class searching for answers to some of these questions or potentially to test their conclusions amongst their scientific peers at a conference or in a journal article,” King said.
Faith Directory
Bethany Church
909 N Wisconsin St. (behind Powerstop) • 970-641-2144
Two services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. FREE lunch for college students following the 10:30 a.m. service gunnisonbethany.com 9 a.m.: Family Service with nursery & children’s church Check out our website for updates! Or download our app on the App Store by searching, Gunnison Bethany.
B'nai Butte Jewish Congregation PO Box 2537 Crested Butte, CO 81224 305-803-3648 bnaibutte@gmail.com
Serving the Jewish communities of Crested Butte, Gunnison and surrounging areas.
Feb.14 at 5-6 PM; Special Tu BiShvat, Birthday of trees” children’s activity/service
Feb.14 at 5-6 PM, 6-8 PM : Tu Bishvat shabbatluck service, pls bring a dish/drink to share.
Feb. 15 at 10:30 AM-12 noon: “Kibbitz with the Rabbi” at the Daily Dose in CB- new location
Feb. 15 at 6:30 PM, Havdalah/dessert service, pls bring a dessert to share, CB South Feb. 16 at10:30 AM- 12 noon; Today’s Torah, in Gunnison
For more details and locations go to bnaibutte.org
Spititual leader: Rabbi Mark Kula is available for you at RabbiMarkKula@gmail.com
New Song Christian Fellowship
77 Ute Lane • 970-641-5034
A Christ Centered Gospel Sharing Community where we want to be part of a community who encourage and support one another in our spiritual journey.
For more info: ccgunnison.com or email info@ccgunnison.com
Join us in-person, listen to our broadcast on 98.3 FM, or view online stream on YouTube
Transforming Lives • Building Community
First Baptist Church
120 N. Pine St. • 970-641-2240
Pastor Jonathan Jones
SUNDAY
Sunday School at 10 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship at 11 a.m.
Sunday Evening Service at 6 p.m. (during school year)
WEDNESDAY (during school year)
Truth Trackers Kids Club at 6:30 p.m.
Youth Group for Teens at 7:30 p.m. firstbaptistgunnison.org.
Gunnison
Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
317 N. Main St. • 970-641-3203
Open and Affirming Whole Earth · Just Peace
Sunday, 10 a.m. Casual, Relaxed, “Come As You Are” Worship gunnisonucc.org
Trinity Baptist Church
523 N. Pine St. • 970-641-1813
Senior Pastor - Joe Ricks Sunday Service 9:30 a.m. Adult Bible Study 8 a.m. trinitybaptistsgunnison.com
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
711 N. Main • 970-641-1860
Senior Pastor Robert Carabotta
Assoc. Pastor Jacob With Childrens Sunday School – Sunday 9 a.m.
Adult Sunday School – Sunday 9 a.m.
Divine Service of the Word – Sunday 10 a.m.
St. Peter’s Catholic Church
300 N. Wisconsin • 970-641-0808 Fr. Andres Ayala-Santiago gunnisoncatholic.org crestedbuttecatholic.org or call the Parish Office.
St. Peter’s - Gunnison Sat 5 p.m. & Sun 10:30 a.m., 12 p.m. (Spanish) Mass First Sunday of every month bilingual Mass 11 a.m.
Queen of All Saints - Crested Butte, 401 Sopris Sun 8:30 a.m. Mass
St. Rose of Lima - Lake City Communion Service, Sun. at 10 a.m.
After spending years scouring the exposed geology of central and southwestern Utah and western Colorado for signs of the prehistoric past, King has cataloged many other track sites for potential research, where students could be the first to investigate and document dinosaur tracks.
“I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to do research on a trackway that has not been studied yet,” Krueger said. “This gives me confidence in my abilities to conduct accurate research and complete a large project like this without having someone tell us what to do at each step of the way.”
(Seth Mensing is the Western Colorado University public relations and communications manager.)
The Good Samaritan Episcopal Church
307 W. Virginia Ave. • 970-641-0429
Rev. Laura Osborne, Vicar First Sunday of each month –11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Alternating at Good Samaritan and All Saints in the Mountains
Check our websites for location
Second Sunday-Fifth Sunday –9 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II Children’s Sunday school –2nd and 4th Sundays, monthly Office hours: M-TH 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Visit our partnership church: All Saints in the Mountains, Crested Butte Meeting Second-Fifth Sundays at 5 p.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite II 403 Maroon Ave, Crested Butte
Visit our website for location of 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, First Sunday of each month allsaintsinthemountains.org
Church in the Barn 8007 County Road 887 Waunita Hot Springs Ranch • 970-641-8741 Sundays, 10:30 a.m. Non Denominational Come as you are.
Church of Christ
600 E. Virginia • 970-641-1588
Sunday Morning Bible Class: 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Evening Worship: 6 p.m.
Wednesday Night Bible Class: 7 p.m.
Western students studied the trackway using a grid of one-meter squares to determine the animal’s approximate height and speed as it traveled. (Courtesy Ryan King/Western Colorado University)
GUNNISON WATERSHED SCHOOL DISTRICT
See GWSD website for details gunnisonschools.net
Gunnison Watershed School District believes that students thrive when they are connected to something bigger than themselves. That’s why we create learning experiences that spark curiosity, helping students discover who they are and how to make a difference in the world around them. As they excel in academics, athletics and the arts, students find the confidence to pursue any opportunity in life. Our team is “Driven to be the Difference!”
HOURLY OPPORTUNITIES
CBES - Permanent Substitute Bus Drivers Food Service
INSTRUCTOR: The Adaptive Sports Center is seeking qualified adaptive instructors to facilitate exceptional adaptive sport and recreation activities for the 2025 Summer Season. Pay ranges from $21-$30/hour based on experience. Benefits for full time seasonal staff include pro-forms, certification and membership dues, exam reimbursement, paid sick days, 5-day stipend and a 401(k) match. More information and summer application is at https://www.adaptivesports.org/careers . Applications are due March 15.
GVRHA is hiring a full-time experienced Office Manager to support all aspects of the organization including communications, operations, accounting support and community engagement. The ideal candidate will receive all incoming visitors, calls and general emails, has excellent communication skills (verbal and written), and QuickBooks experience is a plus. Strong organization skills, keen attention to detail, knowledge of and experience with website and social media platforms also required. GVRHA offers a comprehensive benefit package including paid holiday, vacation, and sick days, generous employer contribution towards medical, dental and vision insurance for both employee and dependents, and 3% employer match to a Simple Ira. Preference given to bilingual candidates. This is a non-exempt position and pays $23-$26/ hour. Please send resume to: hiring@gvrha. org. For more information, visit http://gvrha. org/join-our-team .
THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE seeks applicants for a Planner I to join the Community Development team. The Planner I works closely with all the Community Development divisions, multiple Town departments, the Board of Zoning and Architectural Review (BOZAR), the Town Council, regional partners within the Gunnison Valley, and the Crested Butte Community. The Planner I assists/leads some smaller case review and processing of development applications to BOZAR. The Planner I assists in the development
GUNNISON COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Patrol Deputy
Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $72,397.26 to $102,405.83 plus full benefits.
Take home vehicle & uniform allowance provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
Detention Deputy
Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, the annual salary range is from $65,056.55 to $92,022.40 plus full benefits.
Uniform allowance provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
Heavy Equipment Operator
Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $23.60 to $31.69 plus full benefits.
Shop Technician
Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $26.51 to $35.61 plus full benefits.
Public Trustee Specialist
Treasurer: 40 hours/week, hourly range is from $23.60 to $28.69, depending on experience, plus full benefits.
Recycling Technician
Public Works: Full-Time, 40 hours/ week, hourly range from $23.60 to $28.69 plus full benefits.
Administrative Assistant –
Alternative Services
Sheriff: Full-Time, 40 hours/week, hourly range from $22.47 to $25.59 plus full benefits.
Eligibility Technician – Bilingual
HHS: Part-Time, 20 hours/week, hourly range from $23.60 to $28.69 plus full benefits.
HHS: Full-Time, 20 hours/week, hourly range from $23.60 to $28.48 plus full benefits.
Accountant I
Finance: 40 hours/week, hourly range is from $27.84 to $33.84, depending on experience plus full benefits.
Deputy Finance Director
Finance: 40 hours/week, monthly salary range is from $9,071.59 to $11,028.17, depending on experience, plus full benefits.
For more information, including complete job descriptions, required qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCounty.org/jobs.
To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 91 Colorado Newspapers for only $300, contact your local Newspaper or email rtoledo@colopress.net
CITY OF GUNNISON EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Utility Billing Clerk
Full-Time, $53,300-$62,600/yr
We’re looking for a Utility Billing Clerk to join our team! In this role, you’ll be responsible for processing utility bills, maintaining customer accounts, and assisting with payments and inquiries. Your ability to handle data with precision while delivering excellent customer support will make a direct impact on our community. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy working with numbers and people, this is the perfect opportunity for you!
Equipment Operator
Full-Time, $60,300-$70,900/yr
Operates a variety of City-owned heavy equipment, vehicles and tools in the construction and maintenance of City streets and alleys, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, traffic/street signage and other City infrastructure and services. Drives garbage and recycling trucks with hydraulic lifts on a rotational basis with other team members along designated routes.
Part-Time Openings Lifeguards: $23-$29.33/hr.
The City of Gunnison offers a competitive benefit package, including 75% of medical, dental and vision premiums paid for the employee and their dependents, 5% of gross wages in a retirement plan, 3 weeks of vacation (increasing based on the years of service), 13 paid holidays and 12 days of sick leave per year.
For more information, including complete job descriptions, benefit packages, required job qualifications and application instructions, please visit GunnisonCO.gov/HR.
and amendment of long-range plans and regulations that guide the growth and development of Crested Butte. The Planner assists some case work for the housing division. The Planner I is a communication resource for the Community Development Department assisting crafting and distributing in public notices; creating and distributing the advertisement of community events; crats and distributes the Department’s new letters; other media to raise public awareness, and performs related work as assigned. This year-round position includes an excellent benefits package with 100% employer paid health, dental, vision, life insurance, and contribution to retirement plan after one year of employment. Starting salary is $61,000 to $85,406 annually, DOQ. Full job description is available on the Town’s website at www. townofcrestedbutte.com/jobs. Please submit application, cover letter, and resume via email to jobs@crestedbutte-co.gov. Position is open until filled. The Town of Crested Butte is an Equal Opportunity Employer. THE TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE seeks applicants for a Human Resources Technician to join the Finance & Administrative Services team. The HR Tech provides advanced office support to various Human Resources functions including, but not limited to the following specialized areas: recruitment, compensation,
benefits administration, confidential data management and general administration; provides information and assistance to staff and the public; coordinates Human Resources related events and activities; provide clerical duties, as required, assists with projects and special assignments as requested by professional and management staff; and performs related work as assigned. This year-round position includes an excellent benefits package with 100% employer paid health, dental, vision, life insurance, and contribution to retirement plan after one year of employment. Starting salary is $29.33 –$35.19 per hour DOQ. Full range of pay grade extends to $41.06 per hour. Full job description is available on the Town’s website at www. townofcrestedbutte.com. Please submit application, cover letter, and resume via email to jobs@crestedbutte-co.gov. Position is open until filled. The Town of Crested Butte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE IN CB SOUTH is hiring a full-time teacher! This position is with 4 year olds and there is lots of potential to sub in other classrooms to create a full time position. This is a wonderful family environment with fabulous kids and teachers! Creativity, flexibility, and calmness under pressure are traits that help with success in this job. Multiple ways to grow in the field. Great pay, huge benefits, and year round stable employment. Please inquire with resume and interest letter to lilredschoolhouse1@gmail. com.
LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE is hiring one more amazing teacher to complete our team! Looking for someone who truly loves working with kids, is patient and kind, has a flexible schedule, is hardworking and reliable, and a team player! This position is part to full time and has some time with infants and toddlers and some time with 3-4 year olds. Come be a part of this rewarding career with awesome pay, benefits and a stable year round full time job. Please submit resume via email to Jessica at lilredschoolhouse1@gmail.com
SAGUACHE COUNTY DEPT. HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR: JOB SUMMARY: Responsible for the administration, monitoring, supervision, and performance of the county Department of Human Services programs, as mandated by federal and state laws and regulations and by county directives. Oversee the daily operations of the Department of Human Services. Plans, make decisions, and take appropriate action on issues as they arise, both internally and externally. Manages fiscal, human, and other resources to effectively provide mandated services to the public.
INTERESTED IN A CAREER WITH BENEFITS? The Crested Butte Bank, a branch of the Gunnison Bank and Trust Company, has an opening for a full-time teller to join the operations side of our growing bank. Applicants should have strong customer service skills, the ability to multi-task, and a willingness to learn. GB&T fosters a learning environment where you will gain exposure to multiple areas of the bank with a strong foundation in operations. Pay starting at $18.50. Robust benefits package includes 401(k), medical insurance, vision insurance, life insurance and disability insurance (ST and LT). Pooled transportation is available. Send resume to abrown@crestedbuttebank.com or lbeda@gunnisonbank.com.
The salary will depend on qualifications will start at $55,00, this position is FLSA Exempt Status. Application, resume and letters of recommendation shall be submitted to: April Quintana, Human Resources Director; PO Box 100, Saguache, CO 81149, aquintana@ saguachecounty-co.gov, 503 3rd Street, Saguache, CO 81149 – Phone 719-655-2231 or Fax 719-655-2635. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Master’s degree preferred; bachelor’s degree required in the field of sociology, education, public or business administration, or closely related field. Combinations of experience and education may be accepted.
Minimum of five (5) years managerial
Legals AGENDA
Regular Meeting February 10, 2025
5:30pm
Crested Butte Community School Library
Crested Butte, CO
This meeting will be conducted in person and by distance using the video conferencing platform ZOOM Webinar. Please check the GWSD website for further instructions.
• Call to order
• Roll call
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Approval of agenda (ACTION, All)
• Commendations and celebrations (Information, Successful Students, Strong Employees) Public comment (Information, Engaged Community)
Please use the public participation form, or use the Q&A feature in Zoom, and indicate your name, address, and topic for comment.
• Consent agenda (ACTION, All) Items in the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted under one motion. There will not be separate discussion of these items prior to the time the board votes unless a Board Member requests an item be removed from the grouping for separate consideration.
Board of Education Minutes
January 24, 2025, 2024 Regular meeting/Amended Budget Finance: Approve for payment, as presented by the Director of Finance, warrants as indicated:
• General Account # 44710-44811
• Payroll Direct Deposit # 63791-64179
• Personnel • Morgan Holmes-Early Childhood Special Education-Child Find Coor.
• Anika Pepper-Resignation-Language Arts-CBSS (end of 2024-25 school year)
Katlian Afton-Resignation-Secondary Science-CBSS (end of 2024-25 school year)
• Other Administrative Report Items(Information, All)
• Dr. Leslie Nichols, Superintendent Items introduced by Board Members (Discussion, All) Board committee reports (Information, All) Board/Student Engagement - Dr. Coleman and Mrs. Roberts School Board Policy - Mrs. Brookhart and Dr. Coleman
• Executive Committee for Bond Project - Mr. Martineau
• Superintendent Evaluation- Mrs. Brookhart and Dr. Coleman
• District Accountability Committee (DAC) - Mrs. Roberts
School Accountability Committees (SAC)
GHS - Dr. Coleman
GCS - Mrs. Brookhart
CBCS - Mr. Martineau
Gunnison County Education
Association Negotiations - Mr. VanderVeer
• Gunnison County Education
Association 3x3 - Mr. VanderVeer
• Fund 26 - Dr. Coleman
• Gunnison Memorial Scholarship - Mrs. Roberts
• Health Insurance Committee - Mr. VanderVeer
Housing Advisory Committee-Mr. VanderVeer
Gunnison Valley Education Foundation-Dr. Coleman
Upcoming agenda items and meeting
experience responsible for the provision of human service programs. Knowledge of organizational structure, program development, and functions of federal, state, and local human service programs, including budget and finance, with particular reference to their implications at the county level.
Knowledge and familiarity with management practices and procedures, budgeting and financial management, public administration, and personnel management. Thorough knowledge of Colorado’s social service laws and regulations. Knowledge of principles and practices of social casework, social welfare administration, social research, and community economic, social and health resources.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other county
schedule (Information, Engaged Community)
February 24, 2025
Work Session@5:30pm-GUN
• March 10, 2025
Meeting@5:30pm-CBCS
Regular
• March 24, 2025 Work
Session@5:30pm-GUN
• April 7, 2025
Regular Meeting@5;30pm-GUN April 21, 2025
Work Session@5:30pm-CBCS
Adjournment
Gunnison Country Times
Gunnison, Colorado
Publication date of February 6. 2025 16147
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
§1-13.5-501, 1-13.5-1102(3), 32-1-905(2), C.R.S.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the electors of the Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District, Gunnison County and a portion of the northwest corner of Saguache County, State of Colorado; NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on the 6th day of May, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, two directors will be elected to serve 4-year terms. Eligible electors of the Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District interested in serving on the board of directors may obtain a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form from the District website at www.gcmetrec. com and from the Designated Election Official (DEO):
Sue Wallace (Designated Election Official)
Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District – 710 South 9th Street, Gunnison, Colorado
Sue Wallace – 970-901-6851
Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District – 970-641-8725 DEO@gcmetrec. com
The Office of the DEO is open on the following days: Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The deadline to submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance Form to the designated election official is at 4:00 p.m. on February 28, 2025 (not less than 67 days before the election).
The deadline to submit an Affidavit of Intent
To Be A Write-In-Candidate Form to the designated election official is at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2025 (the sixty-fourth day before the election).
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, an application for an absentee ballot shall be filed with the designated election official no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday preceding the election, April 29, 2025
Sue Wallace - Designated Election Official Signature
Gunnison Country Times
Gunnison, Colorado Publication dates of January 30, February 6, 13 and 20, 2025
16090
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and, particularly, to the electors of the Gunnison County Fire Protection District of Gunnison and Saguache Counties, Colorado.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an election will be held on the 6th day of May 2025, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, two directors will be elected to serve 4-year terms. Eligible electors of the Gunnison County Fire Protection District interested in serving on the board of directors may obtain a SelfNomination and Acceptance form from the District Designated Election Official (DEO): Deborah Ferchau 417 S. 10th Street, Gunnison, CO 81230 (970) 417-0687 debferchau@hotmail.com
The Office of the DEO is open on the following days: Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The deadline to submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form is close of business 5:00 p.m. on February 28, 2025 (not less than 67 days before the election). Affidavit
departments, community groups and agencies, and members of the public. Ability to maintain high ethical standards and professionalism when interacting with community members, clients, and members of the public.
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:
Essential and marginal functions may require maintaining physical condition necessary for sitting for prolonged periods of time and travel to and from various destinations.
REQUIREMENTS:
Pre-employment drug test for illegal drugs including marijuana.
Pre-employment: Must pass a criminal background check. Valid Driver’s License: A valid driver’s license is required.
of Intent To Be A Write-In-Candidate forms must be submitted to the office of the designated election official by the close of business on Monday, March 3, 2025 (the sixty-fourth day before the election). NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, an application for an absentee ballot shall be filed with the designated election official no later than the close of business on Tuesday preceding the election, April 29, 2025.
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of January 30 and February 6, 2025 16063
NOTICE OF NAME CHANGE
PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME
Public Notice is given on January 24, 2025 that a Petition for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Gunnison Combined Court.
The Petition requests that the name of STEVEN RAY HAMILTON be changed to STEVEN RAY HAMILTON
Cinda S Fry Clerk of Court /s/ Cinda S Fry
Gunnison Country Times
Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of February 6, 13 and 20, 2025 16112
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Sally Ann Duck a/k/a Sally A. Duck, Deceased
Case Number 2025PR30000
All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the personal representative or to the District Court of Gunnison, County, Colorado on or before June 9, 2025, or the claims may be forever barred.
John J. Malensek, Personal Representative of the Estate of Sally Ann Duck a/k/a Sally A. Duck 3995 County Road 10 Gunnison, CO 81230
Please contact through counsel: Jacob A. With, Atty. #:40546 Law of the Rockies 525 N. Main Street Gunnison, CO 81230 970-641-1903 ex. 2
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado
Publication dates of February 6, 13 and 20 2025 16118
PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
APPLICATION FOR NEW TAVERN
LIQUOR LICENSE
BLUE MESA VINTAGE, LLC dba THE WHAMMY BAR
PURSUANT TO THE LIQUOR LAWS OF
POWERSTOP is looking for head cook. Pay is $50,000 minimum, position also offers paid time off and health insurance reimbursement. Pay is based on 40 hours a week. Applications must be able to work mornings or evenings and weekends. Resumes to be in a sealed envelope attention Sean. Drop off at Powerstop.
REAL ESTATE
1,500 SQ FT RETAIL/OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE in the Gunnison Meadows Mall next to City Market - Rent is $2,750/month NNN - For more information call Jordon Ringel at 817-733-6947 or visit GunnisonMeadows. com.
THE STATE OF COLORADO AND THE CITY OF GUNNISON, COLORADO, Blue Mesa Vintage, LLC. dba the Whammy Bar, 126 N. Main Street, Gunnison, Colorado, has requested the licensing officials of the City of Gunnison to issue a new Tavern Liquor License to sell malt, vinous and spirituous liquor for on-premises consumption.
A Public Hearing on the application will be held in the City Council Chambers, second floor of City Hall, 201 West Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, CO, at 5:30 P.M., Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at which time and place you may give testimony on the application. This public hearing may also be attended remotely by phone or computer by registering at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_mufdgK6MRyKbki40lOV8jg.
Date of Application: January 14, 2025
Principals: Jill Dunn, 130 Alpine Court, Crested Butte, CO 81224 Matthew T. Grant, 4 Ridge Lane, Gunnison CO 81230
Written comments may be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office located in City Hall, 201 West Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, Colorado; mailed to the City Clerk at PO Box 239, Gunnison, CO 81230; or emailed to eboucher@gunnisonco.gov until 12:00 noon, on February 24, 2025.
By order of Erica Boucher, City Clerk /s/Erica Boucher Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of February 6, 2025 16151
SHARED OFFICE AVAILABLE AT THE ICELAB: 110SqFt, Fiber Internet, $260 a month. Email ben@icelab.co for more info. CO-WORKING SPACE for Impact Cafe for not for profit
or LiskorInternational@gmail.com.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Harmoni Towers, LLC proposes to build a 155-foot monopole communications tower structure at the approx. vicinity of 5411 County Road 43, Gunnison County, Parlin, CO 81230. Lat: [38-30-0.42], Long: [-106-44-0.72]. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Alec Nimkoff, a.nimkoff@trileaf.com, 66 South Logan Street, Denver, CO 80209. 203.856.1011.
Gunnison Country Times Gunnison, Colorado Publication date of February 6, 2025 16134
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
The Town of Mt. Crested Butte (“Town”) is soliciting proposals for the Statement of Qualifications (“SOQ”) from individuals and/ or firms (“Consultant”) capable of providing professional grant writing services on behalf of the Town.
The Town seeks to increase its awareness and pursue viable grant opportunities, including applying for grants which address Town needs associated with projects, service delivery, and civic events. It is the goal of the Town to obtain grants that leverage Town funds and minimize the utilization of tax dollars.
The selected Consultant shall provide assistance in researching, preparing and securing local, state, and/or federal grants that support qualifying government
Gunnison Country Times
services and as related to the various Town Departments, including Administration, Public Works, Community Development, and Marketing.
The selected Consultant shall be an independent contractor and shall not be an employee, agent, or servant of the Town. Consultant is not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits from the Town and is
obligated to pay federal and state income tax on any money earned pursuant to the Town contract (Professional Services AgreementPSA). The selected Consultant will be expected to enter into a Professional Services Agreement (Attachment A) with the Town consistent with the terms of this SOQ. The non-exclusive agreement with the selected
Consultant will have a term of twelve (12) months beginning on or about January 27, 2025 with the possibility of the Town renewing the contract for up to three (3) additional 12 (twelve) month terms, subject to Town annual appropriations and TABOR. For the full proposal please go to https:// mtcb.colorado.gov/request-for-proposals .
For questions regarding the position please contact Jeff Smith at jsmith@mtcb.colorado. gov or 970-349-6632 ext 103.
Submittal of Proposal: Proposals shall be submitted electronically (pdf) by Monday, February 17, 2025 at 3:00 pm (MST) to Tiffany O’Connell, Town Clerk at the email: toconnell@mtcb.colorado.gov.
Hearts for heroes
Veterans broke bread with family and friends at the American Legion Post 54 hut on Feb. 1. The diners enjoyed a breakfast of bacon, eggs, fruit and heart-shaped pancakes just in time for Valentine’s Day. Gunnison Elementary School second graders sent over handmade cards thanking the vets for their service.
DERMATOLOGY SERVICES
At Gunnison Valley Health, we’re making it easier than ever to prioritize your skin health with expert care, less wait times and convenient locations.
Dr. Nickolas Poulos is a board-certified dermatologist with expertise in:
• Skin Cancer Treatment: Early detection and Mohs surgery.
• Medical Dermatology: Care for acne, eczema, psoriasis and more.
• Cosmetic Services: Botox® injections.
Dr. Poulos will have clinics in Gunnison and Crested Butte:
• GVH Specialty Clinic at the hospital: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
• Gunnison Valley Orthopedics in Crested Butte: Tuesdays
schedule
(Photos by Mariel Wiley)
Lights & Sirens
CITY OF GUNNISON POLICE REPORT
JANUARY 27
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL— REED ST.
OBSCENITY: WHOLESALE PROMOTION TO A MINOR — N. PINE ST. WELFARE ASSIST — N. MAIN ST. INFORMATION — 1500 W. TOMICHI AVE.
HARASSMENT: INSULTS, TAUNTS, CHALLENGES — 1099 N. 11TH ST.
JANUARY 28
DRIVING WHILE ABILITY IMPAIRED - ALCOHOL — N. 9TH ST.
PROPERTY - FOUND
— W. TOMICHI AVE.
PROPERTY - FOUND — 910 W. BIDWELL AVE.
PROPERTY - FOUND — FRONTAGE RD.
HARASSMENT: STRIKE SHOVE, KICK — W. TOMICHI AVE.
JANUARY 31
THEFT: INTENDS TO PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE — 711 N. TAYLOR ST.
WELFARE ASSIST - MISSING PERSON — W. TOMICHI AVE. WELFARE ASSIST — 910 E. TOMICHI AVE.
FEBRUARY 1
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL — 100 N. MAIN ST.
ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL
— 227 W. RIO GRANDE AVE.
ALARM — 1100 N. MAIN ST.
ASSAULT: THIRD DEGREE - BODILY INJURY — 200 N. MAIN ST.
FEBRUARY 2
THEFT: INTENDS TO PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE — 900 N. MAIN ST. THEFT - UNDER $100.00 MUNICIPAL — 900 N. MAIN ST. WELFARE ASSIST — 600 N. ADAMS ST.
FEBRUARY 3
TAMPERING WITH A UTILITY METER — 909 N. WISCONSIN ST. VIOLATION OF PROTECTION ORDER: CRIMINAL ORDER — 910 E. TOMICHI AVE.
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - ALCOHOL — 500 E. VIRGINIA AVE.
FEBRUARY 4
NUISANCE CODE VIOLATION
— 1125 N. MAIN ST.
THEFT: INTENDS TO PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE — 307 W. VIR -
GINIA AVE.
FAILURE TO APPEAR - POLICE
DEPT CHARGE — 201 W. TOMICHI AVE.
ANIMAL - RUNNING AT LARGEMUNICIPAL — 221 N. COLORADO ST.
GUNNISON COUNTY SHERIFF'S REPORT
JANUARY 29
- Warrant arrest – in county
- Violation of protection order arrest
- Information report – welfare check
- Information report – assisted detention center
- Information report – suspicious person/activity
JANUARY 30
- Information report – welfare check
- Domestic violence arrest report
- County ordinance 2018-30 – dog at large report
JANUARY 31
- Criminal mischief report
- Information report – certified vehicle inspection
- Traffic infraction – drank from/ possessed open alcoholic container
- Driving under the influence arrest
FEBRUARY 1
Information – welfare check
FEBRUARY 2
- Information report – certified vehicle inspection
- Agency assist report of theft –Gunnison Police Department
- Information report – possible domestic violence report
- Agency assist report hit and run –Colorado State Patrol
FEBRUARY 3
- Agency assist report non-injury car accident – Colorado State Patrol
GCEA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM GCEA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Radiology
Cash-Pay Pricing
Take control of your health with a ordable options for essential imaging services like MRIs, CT scans and more. No insurance? No problem. Our straightforward cash-pay prices give you the flexibility to get the care you need without the financial guesswork.
For more information or estimates: 970-641-7208
Care designed for ... Students
CAMPUS HEALTH CLINIC
The Western Colorado University Campus Health Clinic provides convenient treatment of illness and injury.
SICK VISITS | ROUTINE MEDICAL CARE | PRESCRIPTIONS & FOLLOW UPS
WCU | 970-943-2707
104 TOMICHI HALL | GUNNISON
CAMPUS COUNSELING CENTER
O ering individual counseling for Western students and sta free of charge.
WCU | 970-648-7128
CRYSTAL HALL 104 | GUNNISON
PEDIATRICS
From kindergarten to college, we have the services you need to keep your students healthy and at their best.
Our pediatrician is here to care for your child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being, in both sickness and health.
Child-centered treatment with an emphasis on collaboration with the influential people in your child’s life.
SPEECH THERAPY | OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
HOSPITAL | 970-641-7268
711 N. TAYLOR | GUNNISON
CRESTED BUTTE | 970-349-5684
214 6TH AVE. | CRESTED BUTTE
At Gunnison Valley Health, we are proud to be a comprehensive, community-driven healthcare system serving Gunnison County and beyond. With over 80 years of experience, our network of services spans everything from family medicine and orthopedics to rehabilitation, behavioral health and senior care. Together, we’re creating a healthier future for our community.
Clownstothe left, jokerstotheright
Valley of Fools troupe brings levity into the limelight
Mariel Wiley Times Photo Editor
Last weekend, a band of misfits huddled backstage at the Gunnison Arts Center’s Blue Box Theatre, nervously adjusting their suspenders and cherry-red noses as they waited in the wings. When they heard their cue, each clown leapt out under the lights with a scene partner in tow, ready to spread some laughter. For professional clowns, being a joker is no joke. Instead, it’s an exercise of true vulnerability, said Valley of Fools clown troupe founder Skyler Matthias.
Although clowns don silly costumes and the infamously-bulbous red noses, each performer’s goal is to drop the mask they wear in their everyday lives and show up for the audience as the most genuine version of themselves.
The Gunnison- and Crested Butte-based Valley of Fools troupe put on three shows at the Blue Box Theatre on Feb. 1 and 2. The cast of seven clowns worked their way through a series of comical skits, all while maintaining eye contact with the audience and never uttering a single word.
Matthias formed the group in the spring of 2024, hoping to share the levity of clowning with his community. Last weekend’s show was the troupe’s second performance, after their first performance last June in Crested Butte.
2025 HOMES AND GARDENS
GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES
Clowns B2 Clown shows appeal to spectators of all ages.
Melissa Hiteman and Jodi Payne cling to each other for balance as they traverse the Gunnison Arts Center Blue Box Theatre stage on skis. (Photos by Mariel Wiley)
Matthias, who moved to the valley from Arkansas in 2023, was introduced to the art of being a clown while studying theater in college. The method helped him blossom as a performer, encouraging him to step out of his comfort zone and “share his heart” with people, he said.
“Theater has such a power to make a difference in our communities and be a conversation starter,” Matthias said. “I believe deeply in the power of the clown, because it actually forces the actors and audience to stay engaged with each other. And even though there’s nothing being said, I think there’s a connection that’s deeper.”
Clowns, by their nature, are undefinable. Throughout history, they’ve taken many forms: the witty court jesters of medieval times; the vaudeville hilarity of Charlie Chaplin’s 20th-century silent films; and the red-nosed actors making appearances at birthday parties. At Cattlemen’s Days, rodeo clowns and their steeds send spectators into fits of raucous laughter. What they all have in common, however, is a performer who is willing to bare their unfiltered, flawed humanity with the crowds watching them.
In Matthias’ own experience with clowning, his ability to connect with the audience is strengthened by a willingness to abandon the “fourth wall” that many actors rely on. On both the stage and the screen, the fourth wall is an imaginary barrier that actors pretend exists, allowing them to perform as if they aren’t being watched.
“So much of our theater today is disconnected from the audience experience,” Matthias said. “The beauty of the clown is that it forces you to stare straight at the audience.”
During dress rehearsal on the evening of Jan. 30, Matthias sat where the spectators soon would. He still wore his own clown costume of a checkered bathrobe over emerald green pants, his red plastic nose slung around his neck on an elastic string. He peppered directions to the six other clowns in the troupe as the Valley of Fools ran
through their skits, reminding the actors to frequently look at each other and out at the audience. This tactic engages everyone in the room with the scenario unfolding before them.
The clowns always performed with a partner, lending to comical interactions of both competition and camaraderie. One such duet featured Jodi Payne and Melissa Hiteman, who awkwardly romped into the room on skis. The pair made several bumbling attempts to jump up onto a raised platform, where two cups of refreshing water awaited just out of reach.
When they’re not moonlighting as clowns, Payne is the executive director at the Gunnison Country Food Pantry, and Hiteman works multiple service industry jobs in Crested Butte.
For one of the Valley of Fools clowns, Gunnison native and longtime stage-actor Nikolas Owens, adjusting to the discomfort of eye contact on stage took some time.
“It’s just standing in front of people, and allowing yourself to feel the emotions while they’re interacting with you,” Owens said. “The connection with lack of words is very personal and a little difficult, but you’re just accepting what’s happening.”
The troupe’s wide-eyed glances play into one of Matthias’ “rules of clowning” that he shares with new performers. These include maintaining direct eye contact, never talking and always “asking for permission” from the audience. When seeking this permission, clowns attempt to evoke a childlike — but never childish — sense of innocence and curiosity that both they and their viewers can be a part of.
Clowns frequently get themselves into comical situations, and they look to each other and their audiences for reassurance in their attempts to get out of a pickle. In this case, clowns must adhere to another rule: following the laughter.
But in today’s world, not all clowns are met with laughter. Modern horror films and novels, such as Steven King’s “It,” portray clowns as otherworldly monsters. Some squirm even at the sight of fast food giant McDonalds’ red-haired mascot, Ronald.
These polarized reactions to clowns — delight or dismay — could be tied to clowns’ role in
enabling audiences to confront their own humanity, Matthias said.
“For anyone that says they’re scared of clowns, or don’t understand them, I just remind them that Robin Williams, by all regards, was a clown,” Matthias said. “Jim Carrey, Sasha Baron Cohen, Lucille Ball … All these people are clowns. They express themselves in a way that is honest and true, and yet they have this silliness that people gravitate toward.”
Hiteman had felt this pull to clowning since childhood, when she would frequently attend clown performances with her parents and sister in Lima, Peru. These days, she said she hopes her performances with the troupe bring the same joy to people that she felt long ago.
“I remember when I went into the audition, and Skyler asked me ‘Why do you want to be a clown?’ I was like, I want to try something to make me happy. I think everyone here [in the valley] struggles with the blues. I’m just glad I found something that I enjoy that can also, at the same time, make someone smile.”
Amidst a time in which global headlines of natural disasters and human strife can feel overwhelming, clowns can offer a crucial sense of light-heartedness and respite, Matthias said. He looks to his clown peers for inspiration and a sense of purpose, especially a nonprofit group called Clowns Without Borders.
“They go into these really dark places where people are struggling — they don’t have a home, they don’t have a nation, et cetera,” Matthias said. “Just like doctors go in to treat illnesses, clowns are doing what they know how to do, which is to give people hope, allow them to laugh and remind them that there is a tomorrow.”
The Valley of Fools will be holding auditions in April for prospective clowns to join their band of misfits before their next performance this summer. Information will be available at cbmountaintheatre.org .
(Mariel Wiley can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or mariel@ gunnisontimes.com.)
Nikolas Owens wraps string lights around Hiteman.
Pip Bailey and Jack Mangan shake hands during a “musical chair” skit.
Julia Wilson strikes a pose during dress rehearsal on Jan. 30.
Skyler Matthias and Jack Mangan peek out from behind a shovel.
Sage-Grouse committee meeting
The next meeting of the Gunnison Basin Sage-Grouse Strategic Committee will be Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. via Zoom or in the Planning Commission Meeting Room at the Blackstock Government Center. Chairperson election will occur during this meeting. For more updated information, including the most recent agenda and access to the virtual meeting, please visit gunnisoncounty. org/187/Gunnison-Basin-SageGrouse-Strategic-Com.
Daddy Daughter dance
Join us for the 7th annual Daddy Daughter dance on Feb. 8 from 6-8 p.m. at 107 N. Iowa St. Tickets are $20 for father and daughter plus $5 per extra daughter. Ticket includes DJ, desserts, refreshments, photo booth and a night full of fun and laughter!
Crested Butte School of Dance
Adult Block 3 registration is now open, and scholarship applications will be accepted through Feb. 3. This block will run Feb. 24 to April 11 and feature the following dance styles: ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, aerial, dance conditioning, belly dance, hooping, dancercise and fan fundamentals. Most classes are open for full registration or drop-ins! Visit dancecrestedbutte.
org to view schedules, create accounts, register for classes, purchase punchcards and apply for scholarships. Contact programs@dancecrestedbutte.org for more information.
Move the Butte
This year's production will showcase 140 adult community members performing a wide range of dance styles, including ballet, tap, aerial, hip hop, latin, pop, lyrical, contemporary, fire dance, hoops and more. Move the Butte is a CB winter tradition that brings the whole Gunnison Valley together under one roof at the Center for the Arts. All four shows will sell out, so mark your calendars for Feb. 3 when tickets go on sale at noon! Purchase tickets at movethebutte.com/tickets.
The Five States of Colorado
Join us at the Gunnison Arts Center on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. for The Five States of Colorado. This documentary explores the diverse landscapes of Colorado and the distinct cultures and identities that have evolved from the land and its history.
Gunnison Country Food Pantry
The first Wednesday of each month a semi-truck from Colorado Springs brings thousands of pounds of food for neighbors and we need groups and individuals to help unload
CB CENTER FOR THE ARTS BRIEFS
Ski patrol fundraiser
Join us for the 43rd annual Wall to Wall Community Fundraiser on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. Will they need to adjust attitudes or will they be wall to wall? Boot Juice will be providing the entertainment for this year’s event. Don't miss it! The cost is $35+.
Toast your hot toddy
On Feb. 14 from 5-7 p.m. warm up your Valentine’s Day with our Hot Toddy MiniSeminar with Renee Newman from Montanya. It is the perfect prelude to an unforgettable evening with The Motet. The cost is $25.
The Motet
Formed over two decades ago, the funk six-piece The Motet have learned to work as an interlocking unit, with each member bolstering one another towards the best creative output.This symbiosis has led to a unique style and cohesive musical chemistry, as seen in the band's immaculate live performances and seamless blend of funk, soul, jazz and rock. The show is on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. and the cost ranges from $45-$75.
the truck at 10 a.m.. Shifts we need covered in Feb. and every month are as follows: Mondays 9-11 a.m. Pantry
Prep Mondays 1--4 p.m. No Cost Grocery Distribution Thursdays 8-10 a.m. Pantry
Prep Thursdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. No Cost Grocery Distribution Call 970.641.4156 to schedule your shift!
Crested Butte Film Festival
The Academy Awards are soon upon us, and what better way to see many of the nominated films than ahead of time and on the big screen? Crested Butte Film Festival, for the seventh year in a row, gives you a head start on your Oscars pool by presenting two Oscar Nominated Short Film programs in Crested Butte. Please join us for documentary shorts on Feb. 15 and live action shorts on Feb. 16. The programs play at The Majestic Theater and showtimes both nights are 6:30 p.m.
Mobile veterinary practice proudly serving
Beer dinner: BruHaus + Crooked Stave Brewing Co.
Join the Wine + Food Festival and BruHaus Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. for an exclusive beer dinner featuring Crooked Stave brewery. Indulge in a thoughtfully crafted prix fixe menu, where each course is expertly paired with Crooked Stave’s innovative brews, celebrating bold flavors and creative brewing techniques. A perfect evening for beer and food enthusiasts alike! The cost is $95.
Kissidugu kids camp
Give your kids a fun and fulfilling February break with immersion in an engaging and dynamic afternoon cultural arts camp on Feb. 17-20 from 12-3:30 p.m. This camp will be targeted to ages 8-12 and will explore the art of storytelling through music, dance and stories on stage. Each day will include a variety of themes and music and movement classes taught by Angela Carroll and Fara Tolno, as well as arts, crafts and games. Drums and any other instruments will be provided for use. The cost is $135 for all four days or $75 for two days.
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GUNNISON COUNTRY TIMES • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Cowboy swim and dive shines at regionals
Sam Jones, Zia Schwab take first
Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor
The GHS girls swim team cruised to a third-place team finish at the Southwest Conference Championships in Grand Junction on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Seniors Sam Jones and Zia Schwab took home first place in their respective events, while nine Cowboys, including three underclassmen, qualified for the upcoming state championships.
“We only had 10 kids down there, but we had two competing in the finals of almost every event,” said Head Coach Tami Maciejko. “Now we’ll get
the cameras out and fine tune a couple things with our starts and turns ahead of state.”
Despite the team’s small size, the Cowboys packed a punch against the league’s top swimmers. The 200-yard medley relay team of Kathryn Frey, Audrey Meeuwsen, Maya Petrie and Sam Jones opened the meet with a third-place finish. Then the 400 freestyle relay team of Catalina Schwab, Jemma Petrie, Sam and Frey took fourth.
The senior frogkicking duo of Sam and Jemma returned to compete in their favorite event, the 100 breaststroke. Despite finishing second and third in the prelims, Sam and Jemma each shed time in the finals to take first and second place. Now swimming 3 seconds faster than her fifth-place state time last season, Sam is poised to return to the championship podium.
B6
GHS wrestlers charge into postseason
Roxie Uhrig caps off regular season with Walsenburg
Alex McCrindle Times Sports Editor
win
The GHS wrestling teams wrapped up the regular season in exciting form last week. The girls secured podium finishes against 20 rival schools at the Lady Panther Invite in Walsenburg. The varsity boys took on Alamosa at an away duel, while the JV boys climbed to the leaderboard of the Western Slope JV Championships at home.
Now, the Cowboy grapplers are making final preparations for the regional tournament on Feb. 7 and 8. The boys will travel to Grand Valley, and the girls will host the 4A championships at the GHS gymnasium.
On Jan. 30, the boys team faced a daunting challenge against the Alamosa Mean
Moose. The Cowboys competed without key seniors Brock Fry and Damyon Funk, and took on one of the strongest wrestling programs in the division. Zach Benson notched the only Cowboy victory of the night. The sophomore pinned his opponent in the 138-lbs bout, and added needed points to the Cowboys tally. Despite falling 61-12 on the night, Head Coach Mike Seijo remained optimistic about the upcoming regional tournament.
“Alamosa is always a top team, and it’s not the end of the world,” Seijo said. “We still have plenty of time to fix what we need to fix ahead of state. We’ll be keeping practices short and sweet, and build our confidence going into regionals this weekend.”
The GHS ladies tied a bow around their regular season in Walsenburg on Feb. 1. Roxie Uhrig maintained her blistering pace and snagged a firstplace finish. The sophomore pinned all three of her opponents in path to the 140-lbs trophy, and moved her overall
record to 30-2 on the season.
Isabelle Crown weaved her way through the consolation bracket and pinned her opponent in the fifth-place match on Saturday. The senior now sits 15-13 on the season heading into regionals.
The JV boys shined on their home mats at the JV championship on Feb. 1. Lincoln Hemmert opened with backto-back technical falls over opponents from Buena Vista and Grand Junction. The freshman added a pair of pins in the following two rounds, and secured the first-place finish with a technical fall over Kaisen Davis of Buena Vista in the 106-lbs bracket. Freshman Angel Zeferino also crested the podium, just falling short in the 175-lbs championship bout to finish second place. Gavin Smejikal took third in the 175190-lbs division after an undefeated run in the consolation bracket, while Jerico Espinoza took fourth in the 126-lbs tournament.
“The JV results are super exciting for our future,” Seijo said. “It shows that these guys are learning, and it’s great for these guys to take that momentum with them into the offseason.”
Next up, the GHS varsity wrestlers will test their mettle against top opponents in the regional championships. Then, it’s full speed ahead to the state tournament at Ball Arena in Denver on Feb. 13-15.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
Swimming
Audrey Meeuwsen floats like a butterfly at home duel on Jan. 22. (Photos by Evan Bjornstad)
Cody Casebolt gets ready to rumble. (Photos by Evan Bjornstad)
Mountaineer wrestling dominates Thunderwolves
Chavez, Noble pins inspire home crowd
Gregg Petcoff Special to the Times
The No. 13 Western Colorado University wrestling team defeated the visiting Colorado State Pueblo Thunderwolves, 40-6, on Feb. 1 at the Paul Wright Gym.
If ever momentum was evident in a contest, Saturday's dual was the perfect example. The Mountaineers only allowed the Thunderwolves a pair of decisions, while the Mountaineers racked up four pins and a major decision to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) duel.
The Mountaineers, holding a 6-4 overall record and sitting 3-2 in RMAC play, earned a 6-0 advantage with a Thunderwolf forfeit at 125-lbs. But Pueblo halved the early Western lead with a 13-9 decision in the 133lbs bout.
Eyan Chavez quickly charged up the crowd in his 141-lbs match. The redshirt sophomore earned an early takedown in the first period that turned into a pin at the 1:27 mark. Building
on that momentum was Dean Noble at 149-lbs. Noble, currently ranked No. 3 at his weight, built a 9-0 lead into the third period, and a fall at the 6:23 mark.
In an exciting but low-scoring match at 157-lbs, Vincent Cabral battled with Pueblo’s Cyruss Meeks. Cabral earned the initial points with a firstperiod takedown, but Meeks chipped back with an escape. Meeks selected the down position to start the second, and cut into Cabral's lead with an escape for the only point of the period. The third started with Cabral scoring from a bottom escape. Meeks threw one last flurry in the final seconds, but it didn't land. Cabral continued Western's momentum with a 4-2 victory.
Walker Heckendorf inspired his teammates in the first period at 165-lbs. The junior escaped an early takedown against Aaron Concepcion, and then closed the match with another Mountaineer pin in under 2:24.
Cole Hernandez entered Saturday's dual ranked the No. 1 wrestler in Division II at 174lbs. Facing off against Pueblo’s Solomon Arnds-Volcin, he showed his worthiness of that ranking. Hernandez led 10-2 after the first, 13-4 after the second and finished off Arnds-
Volcin in the third for an 18-4 major decision. The match at 184-lbs had Western's Cole Gray on the mat against the Thunderwolves' Donn Greer. Neither scored in the first, and the second period ended with Greer leading 5-4. Greer started down in the third and added an escape for a 2-point advantage. But in one exciting attempt, Gray took Greer down onto his back and earned another pin for the Mountaineers.
Pueblo earned a hard-fought 9-6 decision at 197-lbs, but the Mountaineers still carried the momentum when Riley Butt stepped in against Henry Sturn at 285-lbs. The two heavyweights bullied and hand-fought into the third period with Sturn leading late, 4-2. Then, Butt scored a reversal late to even the score and send the match into overtime. Butt ended things quickly with a takedown for the 7-4 sudden victory.
(Gregg Petcoff is the assistant athletics director for communications at Western Colorado University and can be reached at gpetcoff@western.edu.)
Walker Heckendorf competes in the 165-pound match against the Thunderwolves. (Courtesy Western Colorado Athletic Communications)
“It’s always so cool to see how close the breaststroke times were, it was like ‘boom boom,’ first and second in the finals,” Maciejko said. “I still think these girls have the potential to shed even more time, and push top-three at state.”
Diver Zia Schwab returned to the boards at the last minute after battling illness. Despite not being at full strength, the senior added over 36 points to her score, skyrocketing to a first-place finish. Additionally, Frey bagged a third-place time in the 200 freestyle, and junior sprinter Aiden Tomlin finished just behind her in fifth.
The underclassmen trio of Elora Jones, Maya and
Meeuwsen also starred, and booked their tickets to the state meet. Maciejko said state experience will be crucial for the growth of her younger competitors.
“This is such a great group, of both great leaders and underclassmen,” Maciejko said. “I can’t say enough of how strong this freshman team has started.”
After battling through “Hell week,” and increasing mileage ahead of the regional meet, the girls will now reduce their workload, and taper into the state championship on Feb. 10-12.
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@ gunnisontimes.com.)
Cowboy basketball overcomes Bruin resurgence
The GHS boys basketball team silenced the Cedaredge gym in a 60-55 league win on Feb. 1. The victory moved the Cowboys to a 7-8 overall record, and 5-3 in the 3A Western Slope League. After taking down the Bruins in a cagey, back-and-forth game in January, the Cowboys were met with a Cedaredge team hungry for redemption. GHS held a 6-point advantage at half time, but the Bruins battled back late in the game. Wolfgang Anderson, Burk O’Rourke, Tyler Richter and Jackson Dalleck — the Cowboys’ senior core — held their feet firmly to the pedal, and secured the smash-and-grab win. The boys will return home to face Crested Butte on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.
Jemma Petrie cracks a joke with the Cowboy bench. (Photos by Evan Bjornstad)
Burk O’Rourke lofts up a 3-point attempt.
Max Peluso escapes a Bruins defender. (Photos by Evan Bjornstad)
Jackson Dalleck dishes the ball to the perimeter at home against Cedaredge on Jan. 10.
Jake Ebbott celebrates the home Cedaredge win.
VETERANS’ VOICE
A ‘tail’ of two rescues
John Nelson Special to the
Times
We set sail from our homeport of San Diego on Jan. 5, 1988 on our Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment with Battle Group Foxtrot, led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. This would be my second West-Pac on board the USS Truxtun, my home since May 1984. Truxtun was the only other nuclear-powered ship in the battle group, joined by three destroyers, two frigates and four support ships. I was a nuclear qualified machinist’s mate, second class.
After a supply stop in Pearl Harbor, we were all heading toward the Philippine Islands. A distress call was relayed from Enterprise. A Japanese fishing boat had a severely injured man, several hundred miles from the Japanese mainland. Truxtun was ordered to assist at maximum speed, while the battle group maintained its course.
The bell was called down to both enginerooms: “Set the maneuvering watch, ring ring! All ahead flank!” As I hurried to my station, #2 port auxiliary room, to start the #3 ships service turbine generator (a backup during critical evolutions), the throttlemen opened the throttle valves sending more steam to the main engines. Reactor operators increased the power of #1 and #2 reactors to maintain steam pressure, and we rapidly increased speed to over 30 knots. She could do 33 knots all day, all night, for weeks if necessary.
Truxtun steamed at flank speed the rest of that day and night, reaching the Japanese fishermen the next morning, Jan. 22. A helicopter from Enterprise had already roped down an aircrewman to assess the situation. Despite heavy seas, Truxtun’s boat crew and medical personnel reached the fishing vessel, transporting the
man and aircrewman back to Truxtun. It wasn’t safe for the helicopter to pick them up. I was glad to be below decks as the ship rocked at “all stop.” The fisherman was suffering from a week-old compound fracture of the leg and was listed as unstable due to loss of blood.
We hurried back towards the Enterprise and calmer seas. As we approached, we set flight operations and a Sea King helicopter landed on our flight deck and airlifted the man to Enterprise for further medical treatment. Word came much later that he would be okay.
On to Subic Bay and the Indian Ocean
On Feb. 23, helicopter patrols had spotted a whale tangled in a large fishing net. A 40-foot female sperm whale was floating listlessly on the surface of the North Arabian Sea, with hundreds of feet of net trailing behind her. Truxtun was dispatched on another rescue mission.
All ahead flank again! This time we were only 30 miles away. Upon arriving, crew members used grappling hooks to snag the net and ease the whale alongside. After weighing the risks, a swimmer was lowered to begin cutting the net away. A second swimmer relieved the first, as the whale seemed to wait patiently. I had a chance to go topside and watch for a bit, and could hardly believe how close my shipmates were to all those teeth. After almost two hours of work, enough net had been cut loose to allow the whale to drift clear of the ship with some still in her mouth and wrapped around her tail, forward of the flukes. The boat crew was put in with two fresh swimmers, one of which straddled the whale to clear the tail.
After about four hours, she was freed, with just a little net trailing from her mouth. Slowly
at first, then picking up speed, the whale swam away. Truxtun returned to the battle group, with something to feel good about and a memory to last a lifetime.
Next up would be a great liberty call in Mombasa, Kenya. Jambo! is the greeting there. Then on to escort Kuwaiti tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and Operation Praying Mantis. That’s a story for another time, perhaps!
(John P. Nelson is Commander of the Gunnison American Legion Post and served in the US Navy from 1982-1988)
• FEB. 13TH-19TH IS THE NATIONAL SALUTE TO VETERAN PATIENTS
• FEB. 14TH IS VALENTINE’S DAY. HUG A VETERAN!
• FEB. 17TH IS THE OBSERVANCE OF PRESIDENT’S DAY
•
• DO YOU OR A VETERAN YOU KNOW NEED HELP? PLEASE CALL THE VETERANS
LINE, DIAL 988 THEN PRESS 1, TEXT 838255, OR GO TO VETERANSCRISISLINE.NET
USS Truxtun arrives to assist a whale caught in fishing nets.
Japanese fishing vessel with an injured crew member.
Button commemorating the rescue mission. (Courtesy John Nelson)
